Speech by the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund during the central celebrations of International Youth Day in Maputo, Mozambique, with the participation of the National Youth Council and the Secretary of State for Youth and Employment.
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On behalf of the United Nations and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, thank you for the honor of being with you to celebrate International Youth Day.
I salute His Excellency the President of the Republic, the National Youth Council, and the Secretary of State for Youth and Employment for keeping the flame of youth alive and underlining daily the enormous potential that young people have to transform Mozambique.
This year's event is being celebrated under the slogan "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World". This motto is particularly relevant at a time when ecological and climate issues are a huge challenge for Mozambique - one of the countries most affected by natural disasters in the world.
Just this year, we witnessed the devastation of Cyclone Freddy; a record five-week storm that hit the country twice, leaving six hundred and forty thousand (640,000) people homeless.
At the same time, July was the hottest month on record in the world, which is why the UN Secretary-General reaffirmed that the "global boiling age has arrived".
These drastic climate events reinforce that now is the time to invest in green skills and focus on building climate, economic, and social resilience - with investments in youth at the heart.
We can draw inspiration from the UN Security Council Resolution on Youth, Peace, and Security, which reinforces the importance of creating policies for young people that contribute positively to peacekeeping efforts, as well as to social and economic development, offering opportunities for employment, education and the political engagement of young people, among others.
To benefit from the demographic dividend, we will jointly invest in health and the three E's - education, employment, and empowerment, ensuring that we leave no one behind, be it people with disabilities, people living with HIV, those living in hard-to-reach areas, among other vulnerable groups and people.
Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,
This year also marks a critical point of reflection, as Mozambique is reviewing the commitments it voluntarily made at the International Conference on Population and Development and through the Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development.
The programme of action of the International Conference on Population and Development highlights crucial links between sexual and reproductive rights and almost every aspect of population development, from urbanization, migration and ageing, to family structure and the importance of ensuring the rights of young people.
It draws attention to how investments in women and young people, especially in their sexual and reproductive health, have an impact on environmental sustainability and population dynamics.
We are pleased to note that important progress has been made in Mozambique on the road to ICPD+30, for example concerning increasing life expectancy, reducing infant mortality, and the coverage of health services, among other significant advances. However, there are still challenges relating to gender inequality and access to quality social services.
On this International Youth Day, the UN and UNFPA reaffirm their commitment to continue working with governments and young people to overcome the challenges of today and tomorrow, together with civil society, development partners, and other private sector actors.
We know that when empowered with skills and opportunities, young people have shown that they can set us on the path to a more sustainable world for all.
Now is the time to turn commitments into reality.
Thank you!
Maputo, 12 August 2023.
