This document summarizes a concept note for a side event at the Rio+20 conference focusing on enabling youth participation in bridging the outcomes of Rio+20 with the post-2015 development agenda. The side event will provide a platform for youth leaders to discuss strengthening youth engagement and empowerment in the post-2015 process. It will include presentations from government ministers, UN officials, youth organizations, and others on supporting meaningful youth participation globally and nationally in both establishing and implementing sustainable development goals beyond 2015. The ultimate goal is for youth to play an active role in decision-making on development policies that will affect their future.

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Concept Note
ENABLING YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN BRIDGING RIO+20 OUTCOMES
WITH BEYOND 2015 DEVELOP AGENDA
Organizers:
By: National Youth Services Council of Sri Lanka with the support and coordination of
Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka together with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills
Development of Sri Lanka.
Date 14th
June 2012 between 13:30 - 15:00 Hrs
Venue (tentative): P3-3 (Capacity 500) (Rio-Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
A. GLOBAL YOUTH BACKGROUND1
Among the 1.6 billion persons aged 12-242 in 2012, 0.85 billion are aged 18-24. The overall number of
adolescents and youths is expected to change little over the coming decade and, provided that fertility and
mortalitylevelsindevelopingcountriescontinuetodecline,mayremainrelativelystableovertherestofthe
century.
While the population aged 12-24 is still rapidly increasing in Africa, it is declining or will soon decline in all
otherregions.Consequently,theproportionofthe world’sadolescentsandyouthlivinginAfricaisexpected
to increase from 18 per cent in 2012 to 28 per cent by 2040, while the shares of all other regions will
decline. The region comprising Asia and the Pacific is expected to experience the sharpest decline, from 61
per cent in 2012 to 52 per cent by 2040. Globally, the number of adolescents and young people is at an all-
time high, but that number might not increase much more in coming decades if global fertility rates
1 http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/wyr10/Brief%20demographic.pdf
2 Report of the Secretary-General Adolescents and Youth, Commission on Population and Development Forty-fifth session, 23-27
April2012-http://www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/cpd2012/cpd45.htm
"Youth should be given a chance to take an active part in the decision-making of local,
national and global levels."
United ations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon

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continue to decline. In 2012, the world had 1.6 billion persons aged 12-24, of which 721 million were
adolescentsaged12-17and850millionwereyouthaged18-24(seetable1).
Injuries are a major cause of death among young people, especially young men. Globally, injuries cause 51
per cent of male deaths and 28 per cent of female deaths of those aged 10-24. Injuries cause the most
deaths among males aged 10-24 in developed countries(73 per cent), LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (72
percent), andAsia(excludingSouthAsia) andthe Pacific(62percent).Indevelopedcountries, they arealso
the major cause of death for females aged 10-24 (55 per cent). In South Asia, injuries cause a higher
percentage of deaths among young males than communicable diseases (45 against 29 per cent), and they
are the second most important cause of death in women, accounting for 33 per cent of deaths of those
aged10-24.EveninAfrica,injuriescause36 percentofdeathsofmalesaged10-24.
B. RATIONAL FORTHESIDEEVENT
The Side Event at Rio+20 will emphasize the need to strengthen Youth Engagement, mobilization and
empowerment for linking the outcome from UNCSD/Rio+20 to beyond 2015 process from young women
and young men perspective. The side event will do it’s best to provide a platform to discuss the need for
meaningful youth participation in the follow up to Rio+20 and bridging the beyond 2015 process. This will
beagoodanopportunitytoshowcasetheenthusiasmandcourageof theSriLankanyouthinthishigh-level
UN event to bridge the gap between the Global North and the Global South youth. This side event as a
platformto network as much as youth leaders around theworld who are participating in Rio in Juneand to
carry out a mass youth campaign and mobilization for an ambitious deal in Rio+20. The side event will
composed of a plenary session of experts, motivators and youth, they would speak on above themes and
implementationsofagendas.
The world is looking at bold and concrete decisions that will enable policies, funding and political will for
sustainable development and links to post-2015 from youth perspective. None of this, however, will be
possiblewithoutthecrucialcontributionofyouth-ledcivilsociety.
C. OBJECTIVES:
• To discuss a process that strengthens effective youth participation in bridging the
outcomes of rio+20 with post -2015 development agenda from youth perspective.
• To seek support from member states, youth and youth organizations, civil society
organizations, media and the UN system for strengthening youth participation in the
process of bridging the outcomes of rio+20 with post -2015 development agenda

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D. PROPOSE AGENDA
Moderation
Mr. Ravi Karkara, Global Expert Advisor Children and Youth
13.30 – 13.40
Address by
H.E. Dullas Daham Kumara Alahapperuma, Minister of Youth Affairs and Skills
Development of Sri Lanka
13.40 - 13.45
Address by
Mr. Rajiv Joshi, Director of Programs, Global Call to Action Against Poverty,
Chair - Beyond 2015 UN Working Group,
13.45– 15.55
Address by
Youth from the Major Group on Youth
15.55 – 14.00
Address by
H.E. Severine Macedo, National Secretary for Youth Affairs of Brazil
14.00 -14.05
Address by
Nominated Delegate of the Government of Norway
14.05 – 14.10
Address by
Ms. Bernadette Fischler, Beyond 2015 Campaign
14.10 – 14.15
Address by
H.E. Miguel Angel Carreon Sanchez, Director of the National Institute of Youth
of Mexico
14.15 – 14.20
Address by
Mrs. Nicola Shepherd, UN-DESA, Youth Focal Point
14.20 – 14.25
Address by
Corinne Woods, UNDP, Millennium Development Campaign
14.25 – 14.30
Invitation by Sri Lankan Youth to the World Conference on Youth in Sri Lanka,
2014
14.30-14.55
Development Stake Holder Discussion
14.55 – 15.00
Closing Remarks
Lalith Piyum Perera, Director General and Chairmen of the National Youth
Services Council (launch of the WYC mobile platform/ APP)

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Date: 14th June 2012 between 13:30 - 15:00 Hrs
Venue: (tentative): P3-3 (Capacity 500) (Rio Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
For More Information Contact:
Mr. Sanka Chandima Abayawardena: sanka.chandima@srilankayouth.lk
Advisor-International Relations, National Youth Services Council
Ministry Of Youth Affairs and Skills Development of Sri Lanka
TP: +94716119347/112850990 | FAX: +94112850991
www.srilankayouth.lk | www.worldyouthconference2014.org
Special Note: Invited Panelists are expected to submit their peaches and materials which they
wanted to circulate in the side event in the official folder.
• ANNEX:

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PROPOSED YOUTH CENTERED PROCESS at WORLD CONFERENCE ON YOUTH -2014, SRI LANKA
STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT
Strengthening youth in decision making processes in the development and implementation of
the post- 2015 development agenda. (See http://worldyouthconference2014.org/ for concept
note).The Sri Lankan Government will take measures to ensure that the forthcoming World
Conference is not just a one- off event on youth. We firmly believe that, in order, to make an
impact in partnership with youth we need to invest in a youth centered preparatory process
leading to the Conference and most importantly, a commitment to a follow -up phase in
partnership with young people in the implementation of the post -MDG development agenda.
The following is a brief description of the proposed three phases:
1. Youth Centered Preparatory Processes (2012-2013)
It is envisaged that this process will support youth led processes in the post -MDG agenda that
enable their effective participation in contributing to key sessions that will shape the post -2015
development agenda. It will be vital to work closely with Governments, UN agencies, Youth
organizations, and other stakeholders that are supporting young women and young men to
effectively engage in discussions related to the above. The preparatory process will cover
various regions and work with ongoing regional processes that are shaping the post- MDG
agenda. We urge Governments and key actors to join us in the preparatory process.
The main goal here is to support young people to be able partners in the development of the
Post -MDG agenda so that when they participate in the Conference in 2014 they are able to
share the role they played and the success of their contributions.
2. World Youth Conference 2014 (2014)
The conference itself will allow for joint reflection, consolidation of experiences from the
preparatory processes and also act as a spring -board for strengthening the partnership with
youth in the implementation of the post -MDG agenda
3. Youth Centered Follow -Up Process (Beyond 2015 – 2020)
Past lessons clearly show that lack of investment in follow -up can derail the work, enthusiasm
and energy to reach the next significant milepost. We strongly feel the need for the
commitment of all stakeholders in the follow-up phase so that youth can be supported to
become effective partners in realization of the development goals in the post- 2015 agenda.