The United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (Rio+20 conference was held in Brazil on 20-22 June
2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th
anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
Johannesburg. At this historical event world leaders, along with thousands of
participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, came
together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure
environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we
want. Among them were few African youth delegates
Africa’s future rest on her large youth
population who, when given the necessary skills and opportunity to participate,
can provide solutions and contribute to efforts towards achieving development
goals in local and national arenas. These youth are faced with so many great
challenges that may be worse than that of their fore fathers Many African youths joined their peers
as they saw the Rio+20 as an opportunity to contribute to defining the future
we want for Africa but was limited to those who had access to related
information and opportunity to engage throughout the process.
African youth began as a
continent to prepare for this historical conference in October last year at the
2011 African Economic Conference (AEC) and African Regional Preparatory Meeting
on Rio+20 held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 2011. I was joined by many
youth who demonstrated their passion for sustainable development by organizing
side events and engaging their government.
We were also joined by International NGO and Civil Society organizations.
African youths actively participated at this event, mostly under the Youth and
Children Major Group of the UN CSD. As
the month moved on, the participation of youth in the process diminished with
few youth-led activity on Rio+20 in Kenya, Nigeria and Cameroun
Sustainable development is about
the future as defined by Our Common Future; also known as
the Brundtland Report
states that sustainable development is “development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs
African youth began as a
continent to prepare for this historical conference in October last year at the
2011 African Economic Conference (AEC) and African Regional Preparatory Meeting
on Rio+20 held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 2011. I was joined by many
youth who demonstrated their passion for sustainable development by organizing
side events and engaging their government.
We were also joined by International NGO and Civil Society organizations.
African youths actively participated at this event, mostly under the Youth and
Children Major Group of the UN CSD. As
the month moved on, the participation of youth in the process diminished with
few youth-led activity on Rio+20 in Kenya, Nigeria and Cameroun
As a reproductive rights
activist, I was sad that reproductive rights was excluded from the outcome document
by governments who had supported reproductive rights over three month ago at
the UN Commission on Population and Development held at the UN in May 2012,
there they agreed on a landmark resolution to protect and support the sexual
and reproductive rights of adolescents and youth.
It was heart-breaking to see governments go
back on this commitment. As many African youth are entering their reproductive
age, they need correct information on their sexual and reproductive health and
rights to make informed decision about their sexuality, about whether or when
to have children. The exclusion means that they won’t have the right to a safe
sex life, free from diseases. Their right to make these decisions will not be
protected they will not be free from stigma and coercion.
African youth have the experience
and passion to help shape a better and sustainable future for Africa. They only
need the opportunity. We are now looking forward to engaging in the 2015 Post
development agenda and high-level political forum on sustainable development which Rio+20 created.
About the Author:
Esther Agbarakwe is currently an Atlas Corps International Advocacy
Fellow working with Population Action International in Washington DC. She heads
the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition and one
of the ‘Youngers’ of the Elders+Youngers
Rio+20 Initiative
Twitter @estherclimate
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