Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The initiative to organize the Samarkand Forum is very relevant and timely, Vladimir Norov, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said.

This is due, inter alia, to the conditions created in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, which “caused significant damage to the socio-economic life of many countries of the world and the health of the population. Young people have suffered the most from the current crisis in terms of mental and physical health, education, professional development and civic engagement,” V. Norov, speaking on August 12 of this year. at the Youth Rights Web Forum, said.

In this regard, the relevance of the Samarkand Forum is associated with the fact that “today, more than ever, young people in our countries need help from the state, international governmental and non-governmental organizations through the adoption of socio-economic, political, organizational and legal measures aimed at supporting the young generation, protection of rights and freedoms, realization of his creative potential in the interests of the development of our countries, ”the SCO Secretary General stressed.

“Today, almost half of the world’s youth, or more than 800 million people, live in the space of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The youth of our countries with their energy, innovative and bold ideas is an important pillar on the path of the further development of the SCO in various aspects of its activities. That is why the youth is in the center of attention of our Organization,” Norov said.

He also stressed that at the 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO Member States in November 2019 in Tashkent, the heads of delegations noted the initiative of the Uzbek side to prepare a draft UN Convention on the Rights of Youth and expressed their intention to carry out coordinated work on this issue.

“The significance of this UN Convention for the SCO countries lies in the fact that it takes into account international and national experience in regulating topical aspects of protecting the rights of young people and is aimed at building up efforts at the international, regional and national levels to meet the needs of young people, build capacity and guarantee rights. , freedoms and best interests of young people in all their diversity around the world, ”the SCO Secretary General stressed.

In his opinion, “the adoption of this Convention at the next session of the UN General Assembly could become a timely and effective response to the challenges and opportunities facing states and the world community as a whole in the harmonious development of youth, realizing their enormous potential in order to ensure well-being and sustainable development. our countries, overcoming the negative consequences of the pandemic. "

The work of the two-day Samarkand web forum "Youth 2020: Global Solidarity, Sustainable Development and Human Rights" symbolically began on August 12 - International Youth Day. As the Acting Secretary General, Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center Tuula Yuryela emphasized in her speech at the event, this year’s Youth Day is dedicated to the theme “Engaging youth in global action”.

“Encouraging the international community to move from words to deeds by strengthening interaction and cooperation between governments and youth is something we also strive to translate into the work of the OSCE. As sad as the global COVID-19 pandemic is in many ways, it also offers some opportunities as we need to involve youth in building their own future, even in these difficult circumstances,” she said, stressing that youth need to be involved to tackle the multiple problems of the pandemic, using the energy and creativity of young people.

“The main thing is to jointly design solutions. It is a two-way street: decision-makers and young people can learn from each other and help each other,” Tuula Yuryela noted.

“Engaging youth is not only about being inclusive, but also about sustaining peace and security. For this reason, I am very pleased that the agenda for youth, peace and security is gaining momentum around the world,” the OSCE representative said, expressing gratitude to the Government of Uzbekistan for taking the initiative on this important topic.

“Young people are often not involved in the decision-making processes that shape their future. They also face obstacles in their ability to fully enjoy their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,” Katarjina Gardapkhadze, First Deputy Director of the OSCE / ODIHR Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in her speech at the forum, said.

At the same time, she stressed that “youth are most receptive to the principles underlying the human rights system and to their own role in building and maintaining a peaceful and cohesive society”.

“They must be endowed with the skills to articulate their views and be able to become the leaders of tomorrow. One of the most effective ways to motivate young people and ensure their meaningful participation is human rights education: learning and understanding how human rights contribute to respect for human dignity,” said the first deputy director of the OSCE / ODIHR.

In her speech, Katarjina Gardapkhadze praised Uzbekistan’s significant reform efforts.

“It is imperative to ensure that young people remain at the center of all these reforms. We also highly appreciate the intention of the forum to consider the draft International Convention on the Rights of Youth and remain ready to assist in this process,” she said.

During the Samarkand forum, the text of the draft Convention on the Rights of Youth, the adoption of which was initiated by the President of Uzbekistan at the 72nd session of the UN, is being discussed.

The work on the project lasted over 2 years. The regional experience accumulated in this direction and the best experience of foreign countries were studied. A number of activities were carried out at the regional and national level.

At the moment, the draft Convention includes a Preamble and 26 Articles. The preamble to the Convention notes that “in all countries, youth is one of the main human resources needed for development, as well as a major player in social transformation, economic development and technological progress”. At the same time, it is emphasized that “young people are conductors, beneficiaries and victims of major changes in society in the context of globalization and the rapid development of information and communication technologies”, which determines the adoption of an international convention on the rights of youth.