On 12-13 August 2020, the Samarkand Forum on Human Rights, Youth 2020: Global Solidarity, Sustainable Development and Human Rights, took place via videoconference. The organisers were the National Human Rights Centre of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the UN Office in Uzbekistan, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung foundation.
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev sent a message of greetings to the forum participants, in which he emphasised the need to provide youth with the possibility of participating in the development and implementation of national, regional and global strategies and programmes aimed at meeting their crucial needs and protecting their rights and legal interests.
The President of Uzbekistan emphasised that the problems that humankind is facing today — terrorism, extremism, racism, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic — require coordinated global efforts and the active involvement of young people in this effort.
"In this regard, the adoption of the convention on youth rights initiated by Uzbekistan will be important for ensuring the rights of over 2 billion young men and women all over the world, and will facilitate the expansion of multilateral cooperation to provide education and social support for the younger generation, to protect their rights and to create conditions for self-fulfilment," the message reads.
Greetings were also sent by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He thanked the Government of Uzbekistan for organising the forum, which was devoted, in part, to promoting greater participation of youth representatives in public life and decision-making. This is important for increasing the fairness of political processes, creating better and more sustainable policies and restoring trust in public institutions among youth, Antonio Guterres stressed.
Speaking at the opening of the forum, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov said that young people, as a key human resource, are the main proponents of social change, economic development and technical innovation.
Vladimir Norov spoke about the measures within the SCO to promote youth cooperation in order to facilitate the intellectual and spiritual development of the younger generation.
The Secretary-General briefed the audience on the work to prevent the involvement of young people in destructive activities, counteracting the spread of terrorist and extremist ideas. He highlighted the importance of involving young people in the implementation of joint economic and humanitarian initiatives on their participation in business activity and innovation projects, and also spoke highly about volunteer movement activity.
Mr Norov pointed out that in the Joint Communiqué following the meeting of the SCO Heads of Government in November 2019 in Tashkent, the delegation heads praised the Uzbek initiative to develop a draft UN convention on the rights of youth.
According to the Secretary-General, the convention takes into account international and national experience of regulating current issues of protecting youth rights and is aimed at boosting efforts taken at the international, regional and national levels to meet the needs of youth, strengthen the potential and guarantees of their rights, freedoms and interests. He expressed hope that the adoption of the convention at the next session of the UN General Assembly could be a timely and efficient response to the challenges that states and the global community as a whole are facing, and also would provide opportunities for the harmonious development of the young people, the realisation of their vast potential in order to ensure the wellbeing and sustainable development of countries and overcoming the negative impact of the pandemic.
In conclusion, Vladimir Norov confirmed the readiness of the SCO Secretariat to assist the promotion of the international convention on youth rights within the UN.
The forum participants exchanged opinions on improving the mechanisms for the protection and promotion of youth rights, as well as their role in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals until 2030 and the UN World Programme for Human Rights Education.
During the event, 40 participants from 15 countries gave reports on the four key issues on the agenda. The videoconference brought together some 1,000 representatives of international and regional organisations, national human rights institutions, foreign government agencies and international youth organisations.
The Youth 2020: Global Solidarity, Sustainable Development and Human Rights resolution was adopted at the end of the forum. It urges states to develop strategies that can help young people assess their real capabilities in ensuring their comprehensive, efficient and meaningful participation in public life. The document emphasises the importance of youth representatives in the promotion of peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, and the need for their active, comprehensive and inclusive participation in decision-making.