The Global Youth Consultation was held in Doha during 1-2 September 2015, hosted by the government of Qatar, and co-chaired by the World Humanitarian Summit Secretariat (WHSS), Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) and the United Nations Major Group Children and Youth (MGCY). The support provided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and generous donors from Qatar ensured the representation of about 300 young people from 89 countries, representing affected youth; youth-led organizations and youth experts from all regions. The Consultation was organized in six panel sessions with experts and young people sitting together to discuss the role of youth in humanitarian action. Each panel was followed by breakout sessions in which young people had the opportunity to engage in further discussions in smaller working groups. The exhibition fair has also provided a space to showcase organizations, projects, youth-led initiatives and venue for networking and information sharing.
The Consultation has offered an opportunity for youth from different backgrounds and different experiences to discuss where youth stand in the current humanitarian landscape, what they can provide to the field, how the world can better maximize their potential and how youth can have a stronger voice in humanitarian issues.
Youth make up more than a third of people displaced by conflicts and disasters worldwide. Crises have the potential to erode protective familial and social ties and can leave young people separated from their loved ones, whilst formal and non-formal educational programs are discontinued and community and social networks broken down. The loss of livelihood, security, and protection provided by the family and community places young people at risk of poverty, violence, and abuse – not just during crisis, but long into the future, affecting their countries’ development even decades later. Young girls, in particular, face heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence, which can result in unwanted pregnancy, HIV infection, psychosocial problems, and social stigmatization.
There is also the threat of human trafficking and forced or early marriage.
Throughout the Consultation, young people have emphasized that despite specific vulnerabilities faced under crises, they must be on the forefront of humanitarian action. Youth are taking the lead in contributing to resilience and serving their societies when disaster strikes or conflict erupts. Youth have claimed that they deserve to be recognized as partners in humanitarian action, that they can provide innovative approaches to ameliorating the effects of humanitarian crises no matter the cause, and can help build societies that are resilient, peaceful and inclusive. It was highlightened the role of young women and men in driving innovation, creating solutions and insights into humanitarian crises.
The importance of formal and non-formal education was strongly emphasized during the consultation.
The international community needs to ensure access to continued education and integrate the booming youth population into labor markets in order to reap the demographic dividend.
Ignoring the different needs, capacities and contributions of women, girls, boys and men can mean that some segments of the population are overlooked, sometimes with destructive consequences.
Special attention was also given to gender issues, recognizing the different needs, capacities and contributions of young women and men, shaped by their different gender roles and responsibilities.
The following summary of recommendations from the global youth consultation has been prepared based on the general inputs and remarks from the panels and breakout sessions held on the first and second days of discussion with young people. The summary does not reflect the full range of discussions and proposed recommendations that emerged from the consultation, and therefore should not be considered a consensus document. Nevertheless, it highlights the main discussions and the general recommendations proposed by the global youth.