The UN Youth of Finland condemns human rights violations in Turkey and calls on the international community to support Turkish youth in their fight for democracy
As UN Youth of Finland, we condemn violations of human rights and international law regarding the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the ban on protests, and violence towards peaceful protesters during demonstrations in Türkiye. Arbitrary detention and limitations on freedom of speech and assembly are against international law. We are especially concerned about the civil rights of Turkish youth and the blatant violations of international law.
What is happening in Türkiye?
The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on March 19, started widespread protests across Türkiye. İmamoğlu has been seen as the strongest challenger to Türkiye’s authoritarian president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming presidential elections in 2028. The reason for İmamoğlus arrest includes connections to terrorist groups and allegations of corruption. However, Türkiye’s opposition and international professionals considered the charges made-up and politically motivated. Following İmamoğlu’s arrest, widespread protests broke out across the country, with reports indicating that participation exceeded two million people during the largest demonstrations. (Kuronen, 2025). The arrest of İmamoğlu has been seen as the final straw for many citizens facing injustice and the ongoing erosion of democracy in Turkey. These protests are not only about the mayor’s arrest, but part of a broader movement against government and systemic human rights violations. (Liuhto, 2025).
Young people in Türkiye are taking to the streets to defend democracy
In his speech at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities at the Council of Europe, Turkish Youth Delegate Enes Hocaoğulları expressed the frustration of young people in Türkiye: “The youth has had enough. We have had enough and we are ready to go on the streets to regain our freedoms.”
Students make up the majority of the demonstrators. In Turkey, the decline of democracy, rising inflation, and economic challenges create a challenging future for young people. Turkish youth and university students are leading the protests, as they see opposing Erdoğan’s government and fighting for democracy as the only option for their future in the country. (Liuhto, 2025).
Human rights violations during the protests are against international law.
“I was there (at the protests) from day one when the police forces used disproportionate brutality towards us including pepper spray, plastic bullets and water cannons. I was there when my peers were detained and went through strip search”, stated Enes Hocaoğulları in his speech.
The Turkish government has banned protests, and the police has used violence against peaceful demonstrators. Protesters have been beaten, and those who have fallen to the ground have been kicked by the police. Additionally the police has used tear gas, pepper spray, water cannons, and rubber bullets, in violation of international law. As a result, many protesters have suffered serious injuries. (Amnesty International, 2025). The UN Youth of Finland demands, in accordance with the UN statement, that: “We urge the authorities to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are guaranteed, in line with international law.” (OHCHR, 2025).
During the peaceful protests, more than 2,000 people have been arrested, with students making up a large portion of those detained. There are reports of physical and sexual violence occurring during the arrest and interrogation process. (Badendieck, 2025). Violence by authorities during the arrest was reported by the lawyer of a student protester: “I did not resist public property or law enforcement officers in any way. However I was subjected to excessive force during my arrest. I was dragged on the ground after being pulled by my hair. While being taken to have handcuffs put on, he said ‘I won’t beat you, okay’ And took me behind the ambulance. An officer touched my chest saying ‘Do you have breasts?’ At that moment, I urinated on myself out of fear.” (Erdoğdu, 2025).
The international community cannot remain silent in the face of human rights violations and must support democracy in Turkey
The UN Youth of Finland are particularly concerned about the arrests of peaceful demonstrators and the violence directed at them by the police. We demand that: “All those detained for the legitimate exercise of their rights must be released immediately and unconditionally. Those facing charges should be treated with dignity, and their rights to due process and fair trial.” (OHCHR, 2025).
“All you need to do is to take that message and forward it to those decision makers who are not listening to us”, stated Enes Hocaoğulları in his speech. Therefore we urge the international community to support democracy and to acknowledge the human rights violations faced by young people in Türkiye. Furthermore, we hope that the Finnish government will clearly condemn the actions of the Turkish authorities and actively work through the EU and the UN to defend democracy and human rights in Türkiye.
Sources:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/turkiye-concern-widespread-detentions
https://x.com/aykuterdogdu/status/1905286248119357463?s=46
https://vodmanager.coe.int/coe/webcast/coe/2025-03-27-1/en/29
Notice: This statement has been translated with DeepL.
Statement by the Youth, Peace and Security Network and UN Youth Finland on the Government’s decision to end general grants to peace organisations.
The Government has decided to abolish the general grant for peace work from 2025 onwards. The decision was announced in an informal event for peace organisations and by e-mail on Friday 26.4.2024. The decision came as a surprise to the organisations.
The Youth, Peace and Security Network and UN Youth Finland are very concerned about the termination of the peace support. We share the concerns expressed in a joint press release by the Finnish Peace Alliance, the Peace Education Institute, SaferGlobe, Peace Defenders and the Sadan Committee about the weakening of the peace movement’s operating conditions.
Civil society peace work is indispensable for the promotion of sustainable and peaceful societies. Without peace work at different levels, sustainable peace cannot be achieved in a context where wars and increased militarism directly affect the living conditions of the most vulnerable.
The Youth, Peace and Security Network and the UN Youth in Finland wish to express their concern for the position of young people. Youth peace organisations educate young peacebuilders. Without youth-led peace work, we face an unsustainable and increasingly unpredictable future.
UN Security Council Resolution 2250: Youth, Peace and Security stresses the important role of youth in building and, above all, sustaining peace in our societies – sustainable peace cannot be achieved without young people.
We must work for peace. Without support, we will fail to promote peace and give way to developments that paralyse peace.
Youth, Peace and Security Network
UN Youth Finland
Racism is one of the most serious societal issues that significantly affects immigrant youth employment in Finland. It is important for UN Youth of Finland (UNYF), representing the voices of young people, to shed light on the perspective of racism and its effects on immigrant youth employment. In this statement, we deeply examine racism in work and study environments and propose recommendations and actions to eradicate it.
Racism manifests in various ways in work and study environments. Immigrant youth often face prejudices and discrimination, which hinder their employment. For example, proficiency in the Finnish language may be a decisive factor in getting a job, and many immigrant youth feel that native-level Finnish language skills are expected from them. This was highlighted by Quivine Ndomo, who obtained a doctoral degree, in an article in Helsingin Sanomat. However, Finland’s work environment is becoming increasingly multilingual and multicultural. In many companies, English has become a central working language alongside Finnish or Swedish: for example, in a study by the Prime Minister’s Office, 71% of businesses used English daily or weekly in their work.
Additionally, immigrant youth often encounter prejudices and discrimination in job application situations, where factors such as their name or appearance may influence hiring decisions. This has progressed to the extent that even the TE Office may advise foreigners to leave their photo off their resume. Although educational opportunities are offered to immigrants, their employment in Finland often remains lower. In 2021, only about 60% of foreigners who completed a university of applied sciences degree were employed in Finland during the year, while nearly 90% of Finns were employed. Similarly, only half of foreigners who completed a doctoral degree were employed, while nearly 90% of Finns were employed. Instead of jobs in their own field, they often have to settle for atypical and temporary work, which does not include the security or benefits associated with regular employment.
It is important to identify and address racist attitudes and actions in work and study environments. UNYF emphasizes the role of youth in this process. Young people should be aware of their own prejudices and strive to counteract them and intervene in racist situations, even if it requires courage and sacrifices from their comfort. As future employers and leaders, young people are crucial in eradicating racism in our society.
Additionally, it is important to listen to and provide space for immigrant youth to express their experiences and views openly and safely. UNYF calls on all stakeholders in work and study life to be vigilant and actively oppose racism and discrimination and to create environments where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and thrive without fear of discrimination and prejudice.
In conclusion, UNYF emphasizes that society must work closely together and commit to concrete actions against racism to promote immigrant youth employment. This requires comprehensive cooperation among various stakeholders, reform of the education system, awareness campaigns, and anti-discrimination legislation. It is not enough for policymakers to set goals and regulations; universities and employers, for example, must also be involved in this collective effort. UNYF is committed to promoting this work and hopes that all immigrant youth can enjoy equal opportunities in the future, regardless of their background or origin.
Together, we can create a society where every young person feels valued and welcomed.
Lumi Reichenbach
Vice Chairperson
Adel Rizvi
Treasurer
Sources:
Tutkijan väite: Maahanmuuttajista tehdään Suomeen uutta alaluokkaa – Talous | HS.fi
Asiantuntija maahanmuuttajien työttömyydestä: ”Koulutamme ilmaiseksi muualle” – Talous | HS.fi
As UN Youth in Finland, we voice profound distress regarding the unprecedented human suffering in Gaza and condemn the shocking violations of international law. We urgently appeal for a ceasefire and an immediate halt to the ongoing violence.
As UN Youth of Finland, we express our deep concern for the unprecedented human suffering and the violations of international law in Gaza. There can be no justification for the appalling extent of violence that we are witnessing, and we condemn such acts in the strongest terms possible. While we welcome the humanitarian pause we demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. We call for cessation of violence, the respect of international law and previous Security Council Resolutions, and the protection of civilians who have borne the brunt of this long-standing conflict turned into war.
This war, with its historical roots and complex dynamics, has had a profound impact on the lives of the civilians, particularly the youth and children who yearn for a peaceful and secure future. It is crucial to acknowledge that the historical context, including the on-going unlawful Israeli occupation in the area, cannot be ignored, and the international community bears a responsibility to address these issues. We want to emphasize the importance of condemning the prolonged Israel military occupation in order to start the reconciliation process and establish peace: “Restoring international legality, accountability and respect for humanity and dignity of all must prevail, including an end to Israel’s 56 years of military occupation.” (UNHRC 12.10.2023)
We must express our condemnation regarding the inadequate response from the UN and the international community thus far. Despite the urgency of the situation, there has been a glaring lack of sufficient action and support for the people in the affected areas. It is imperative to recognize the harsh reality of war crimes being committed in these areas, where innocent children and civilians are suffering. Humanitarian aid, including medical professionals, food, and clean water, must be allowed to reach the affected areas without delay. Moreover, the free flow of journalists and information is vital to shedding light on the situation and holding those responsible for war crimes accountable.
As UN Youth of Finland, we are also deeply concerned about the Finnish government’s decision to abstain from voting for humanitarian aid and to continue arms trade with a nation that commits war crimes. We demand that in the future Finland votes in favor of the realization of human rights and international law.
We call on the international community to urgently step up their efforts and provide support for humanitarian aid, reconstruction and peace in the affected areas. To a greater extent, we are particularly concerned for the children and youth in Gaza, who have endured an unlawful blockade, having their childhood, security, and education torn away – all of which are violations of human rights. Nearly half of the population of Gaza consists of children, many of whom have been killed or injured. This war poses a significant threat to the futures of these children and young people. “It’s time to end this vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred and polarization.” (António Guterres 9.10.2023)
Sources:
UN Youth of Finland were asked to give a statement in support of the working group preparing the government’s communication on the promotion of equality, equity and non-discrimination in Finnish society. In particular, a comment was requested on the ongoing and Equal Finland action program. You can read the full statement below.
Statement regarding the government’s communication on the promotion of equality, equity and non-discrimination in Finnish society
UN Youth of Finland is grateful for the opportunity to issue a statement regarding the government’s communication on the promotion of equality, equity and non-discrimination in Finnish society. In the opinion of the UN youth, all the goals of the Equal Finland program are of the utmost importance, but in our opinion, special attention should be focused on the realization of goals 1. (Identify and dismantle the unequal structures of society) and 3. (Strengthen the equality competence of the authorities at different levels). We believe that the realization of these goals will have a positive effect on the realization of other goals as well. We do however emphasize that there is no room to pull back on any of the other goals either. Primarily, we also remind the government of the human rights treaties that bind it and the importance of human rights-based policy.
Also, we call for a perspective that takes into account the individual situations of specific groups in the implementation and evaluation of measures. For example, racism and discrimination experienced in youth has a particularly large impact on young people’s belief in the future, as well as on trust and the experience of belonging in society. Since the members of certain groups of people are experts in their own situation, we strongly urge to involve the groups in the planning and implementation of the measures, as for example in the program’s measure 18 (Developing new ways to promote the participation of minority youth (e.g. Roma youth) in monitoring the implementation of Finland’s human rights obligations) has successfully included.
In addition, we would like to point out that promoting the goals of sustainable development in accordance with the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principle (measure 51 of the program) is an effective way to promote the realization of equality. It must also be remembered that the sustainability gap itself, combined with the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss, will increasingly threaten the realization of human rights and equality.
UN Youth of Finland attended a Ministry for Foreign Affairs civil society hearing in preparation for the Council of Europe’s Reykjavik Summit held 16.-17.5. You can read our full statement below:
Center Youth Participation
The UN Youth of Finland gives thanks for the opportunity to comment on Finland’s goals and priorities for the Reykjavik Summit of the Council of Europe on May 16-17, 2023. We especially want to raise the issue of youth participation and youth rights. The Council of Europe has one of the most effective forms of youth participation at the international level (Advisory Council on Youth), and Finland must definitely ensure that this good practice is continued and further developed.
However, the participation of young people is the lifeblood of a sustainable future and therefore it should be a requirement in all decision-making also outside the Council of Europe. Young people are suffering disproportionately from the current and recent crises, and the threat is that young people’s faith in the future will dwindle. Young people do not see their human rights fully realized, which erodes trust in society and a stable future.
The realization of young people’s rights is currently hindered by, among other things, record inflation, insufficient treatment of the learning deficit and mental health crisis caused by the corona pandemic, and insufficient measures to stop the climate crisis. Especially in climate issues, young people are the biggest victims of the crisis, so the Council of Europe should treat climate change as a human rights issue and guarantee the participation of young people in decision-making on the subject. In addition, Finland should pay particular attention to the special issues of the Arctic region and the rights of the Sami people.
The participation of young people in society is also the lifeblood of peace. We have seen how, even in Europe, efforts are being made to narrow down the civic space to an alarming extent, and in this way the already limited opportunity for young people to participate in sociatal decision-making is being further decreased. However, a strong civil society and young people’s experience of their ability to influence decision-making concerning themselves are the cornerstones of a healthy democracy. Therefore, Finland must ensure that safeguarding civil society’s opportunities for action is placed at the center of the Council of Europe’s work. Special attention and support should be given to countries, where the civil society is in a particularly vulnerable position.
We, the UN Youth of Finland, invite Finland to highlight and put youth participation and youth rights at the center of the Council of Europe’s Reykjavik summit.
Finland has done an admirable job of focusing on the rights of women and girls in its human rights work. However, youth as a whole and youth rights have not seemingly been given the same level of attention e.g. in Finland’s Human Rights Council-related strategy documents. The youth perspective must be represented in all aspects of the implementation of human rights work so that Finland can pursue a truly proactive and forward-looking foreign policy.
As an EU Member State, Finland bears part of the responsibility for ensuring that human rights are respected within the EU. Notably, human rights violations are constantly occurring on the Union’s southern border with refugee drownings commonplace. In addition, refugee camps that flagrantly violate human rights continue to be run by the EU’s partner states in the neighbourhood. EU aid and funding play a major role in maintaining this unsustainable situation. Finland must actively demand that the human rights of refugees be protected. Finland must also be prepared to examine the EU’s asylum policy openly and critically, including within the Human Rights Council.
In today’s world, access to technology is an essential means of giving young people opportunities. Today, we see that in Russia and Iran, for example, social media is an essential source of information and communication for young people when freedom of expression is restricted. Finland, as a pioneer of the technology sector, can promote digitalisation in human rights work and improve technology-related human rights issues around the world. We ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to provide more information on what forms of digital human rights work Finland is promoting, especially concerning youth.
The Russian government’s unprovoked attack against Ukraine has permanently changed the security landscape in Europe, caused vast destruction, death and has forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes and their country. The UN Youth of Finland has condemned this attack in the strongest terms and continues to do so. However, this war has also highlighted long-standing issues in the ways different conflicts and their victims are talked about and treated in media and policy.
After Russia’s president Vladimir Putin escalated the war in Eastern Ukraine into a full blown invasion and the reality of a new refugee crisis in Europe became clear, there have been numerous examples of comparisons in media between Ukrainian refugees and ones coming from the Middle East and North Africa, for example. The difference in refugee policy between now and 2015 is also noticeable. Ukrainians have been welcomed into EU countries with open arms in a powerful display of solidarity with those fleeing the war. This is admirable, but we want to stress the fact that all human life is valuable, regardless of where a conflict is taking place.
The long history of the war in Ukraine is an example of the importance of global action to resolve conflicts before they escalate. Global ignorance of the war in Ukraine turned into fear and shock when Putin’s missiles hit Kyiv on 24.2., reminding us of how important conflict resolution and peace building are. This is why we want to draw attention to other ongoing conflicts and conflict resolution efforts in addition to the ones taking place in Ukraine. We stand for peace even if war seems far away from our lives.
Large-scale conflicts have been going on throughout recent years in many different countries. Syria is still in the middle of civil war and South Sudan and Libya went through a horrible civil war during the 2010s. Yemenis suffer from famine as a result of the ongoing war as it keeps escalating, and in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, attacks and human right violations occur daily. After Taliban took control of Afghanistan, killings, malnutrition, sexual violence and forced marriage have become disturbingly commonplace. Numerous countries have low-intensity domestic conflicts, and post-conflict peacebuilding has proved to be extremely difficult.
The discourse about these conflicts in social media is also extremely different from the way the war in Ukraine is talked about. Conflicts in non-western countries are often dismissed as internal issues that are caused by tradition, backwardness, inequality and religion. These misconceptions simplify the complex and long histories of conflicts, which often involve global power politics and colonialism. Western conflicts are rarely explained by religion, for example, even if they contain central religious aspects, such as in the conflict in Ireland in the 1970s. Instead, the political nature of the conflict is emphasized.
Armed conflict in Ukraine has once again brought problematic depictions of those subjected to war. We have witnessed a number of news channels treat war as something that belongs to certain countries and ethnicities. We strongly believe that everyone has the right to self-determination and safety regardless of their nationality and skin color and that making distinctions between “civilized”, “relatively civilized” and “uncivilized” peoples has no place in peace advocacy. These phrasings show racism towards non-Western peoples, including Slavic peoples, and assume superiority of Western cultures.
Mainstream media should cover all conflicts equally to raise global support and political action to resolve conflicts. War does not respect borders and problematic depictions of Western and non-Western countries do not prevent the violence. This is why we stress the importance of global action and support for world peace no matter where it is needed.
The imagery of these conflicts, in addition to a lack of in-depth understanding, has directly affected how we have perceived refugees. During the 2015 refugee crisis, which was not only a crisis to European countries, but also the individuals that left their families and underwent severe stress, many European countries tightened their asylum policies. Temporary humanitarian protection was removed, internal relocation was suggested to asylum seekers and country reports were updated. The quality of legal assistance and translation services were often poor, which caused numerous mistakes in the early stages of asylum processes. Migration officers failed to understand the political and social conditions in the countries that the asylum seekers came from and the threats they faced.
Many asylum seekers fell into endless loops of appeals after the Finnish asylum system failed them at the beginning. The mistakes were impossible to fix later on, and they could not get justice. A petition called Permit To Live is aiming to solve that by providing undocumented asylum seekers residency.
When the invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022, the attitudes towards the conflict and the treatment of the refugees was completely different. This is not to say that Ukrainian refugees should not be helped because the European asylum system failed before. However, it is important to acknowledge the prejudices we have and recognize that we still have work to do in promoting equality and solidarity. We only become interested in conflicts when they directly affect us, although we should strive for peace even when the conflict seems far-away.
The UN Youth of Finland wants to highlight these issues with the treatment of different conflicts and call for fair treatment to all victims of war in policy and in public discussion. All human life is valuable – selective solidarity in Europe must end.
- All victims of war must be treated equally and with dignity
- We need to act globally to achieve peace even in far-away or low-intensity conflicts
- We have to educate ourselves about the realities in far-away, complex conflict scenes
- Media has to stop the problematic depictions of non-Western countries as “uncivilized” and “natural conflict zones”
- The issues with past asylum decisions must be fixed – you can sign the Permit To Live-petition via this link
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the horrifying attacks our world is witnessing. Our thoughts are with all those killed and injured, and with the people who are against war. This attack is a grave violation of international law, it constitutes an act of aggression against an independent peaceful country.
It saddens us to see the reality we are in today and we are reminded of the importance of young people striving together for a better, harmonious world. We believe that youth can be part of the solution, and now leadership requires action. Now more than ever we need to raise our voices so people can be aware of the problem and understand how to take action as individuals. We understand how important it is to raise our voices and not stay silent on the issues which shake our faith in humanity, we have the responsibility to voice on issues that matter to young people. We must do everything in our hands to ensure that suffering is ended and peace is achieved.
We call on the Russian government to immediately cease its military action and withdraw all its forces from in and around Ukraine, to fully respect international humanitarian law, and to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access and assistance to all persons in need. We urge the Russian government in the strongest terms to turn back from the path of violence and aggression it has chosen. Peace doesn’t mean only to cease fire, but to act and solve this conflict that has been existing for more than 10 years, we request to the leaders of these nations that the work towards peace achievement continues regardless. By raising our voices we would like to remind the world and warring sides that voices can be heard in peace and demands should be sought peacefully.
We stand for peace
Photo: UN Geneva, Human Rights Council – 35th Session (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The UN Youth of Finland thanks the Ministry for Foreign affairs of Finland for the invitation to participate in the hearing and comment on the goals and focuses of Finland’s term in the UN Human Rights Council.
The UN Youth of Finland, founded in 1967, is a politically non-aligned national youth association. The main function of the UN Youth is to act amongst youth and students to inform them about the work and goals of the UN. The UN Youth of Finland acts as the umbrella organisation for local UN Youth associations in Finland and the Finnish Model United Nations Society.
Introduction: Youth Rights
Although human rights apply to everyone, certain groups of people face particular barriers in accessing and enjoying their rights. To address some of these barriers, countries have developed international instruments dedicated to the rights of certain groups including women, children and persons with disabilities, for example. However, while the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child applies to individuals under the age of 18, it does not cover youth over 18. These young people are moving between two stages of life – childhood and adulthood – and can be particularly vulnerable to discrimination in various forms. They often encounter difficulties in accessing education, quality employment, social protection and full access to civil and political rights, limiting their potential. Given the barriers young people face by virtue of their age there is a need for specific protection to tackle discrimination against young people and to remove the barriers that are stopping them from accessing their rights. This is what we refer to when we talk about youth rights and in this comment we address vital human rights questions from this perspective.
1. Climate Crisis
At the end of 2021, the UN Human Rights Council decided that a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right. It is quite self-evident that the greatest threats to this human right are posed by the climate crisis and the biodiversity loss. According to the latest IPCC report, the 1.5 °C warming will be reached in the early 2030s, six years after Finland’s membership of the UN Human Rights Council ends. The report emphasizes the scale, speed and irreversibility of the changes caused by global warming and calls for action at the international level.
The youth around the world have expressed their concern about the environmental crisis and taken responsibility for building a sustainable future. However, young people do not possess the power to make world-changing decisions and the resources of the youth to solve the problems caused by the climate crisis are relatively small: for example not everyone even has the right to vote. Resolving the climate crisis must not be passed on to future generations. Decision-makers and international actors need to listen to the concerns of the youth and prioritize building a sustainable future in their decision-making.
Educating the youth and involving them in decision-making are important in tackling the challenges of the climate crisis and environmental sustainability. Growing up surrounded by environmental issues enables respect for nature and the environment and these become self-evident truths. Everyone should understand the interdependence between the health of the individual, the well-being of the environment, good living conditions and the diversity of nature.
Climate crisis is a matter of security and a matter of peace. It is a question of global equality and human rights. The role of the youth as future decision-makers and active citizens plays a great part in tackling the climate crisis but climate action cannot wait for the next generation to take the lead. A sustainable future needs to be build now, together with the future generations.
2. Peace
The climate crisis is intertwined with different conflicts in many ways and it can make already existing conflicts worse. When social, economic and environmental conditions are worsened by climate change, existing tensions can be exacerbated which can lead to wider unrest and conflict. Countries and areas which already suffer from war and conflict also have less resources and options to deal with the effects of climate change, and for example countries suffering from long-running civil wars are often not capable of providing food security for their citizens suffering from famine.
The climate crisis both worsens many existing conflicts but also creates conditions that can lead to new ones. Therefore it is imperative that the climate crisis is taken seriously and global warming is limited as much as possible but also that youth are involved in peace building processes that affect their future. All possible steps must be taken to ensure that peace building processes become more inclusive and efficient, because the climate crisis, among other factors, is likely to continue to make war and conflict even more devastating in the future.
Conflicts often threaten young people’s rights and future in particular ways. Therefore it is vital that the youth are also involved in the peace processes and peace building more broadly. While the youth alone cannot solve conflicts, their participation in these processes ensures that their needs and wishes are heard and respected, and that they can access their full human rights. The work for making this a reality has already begun with the adaptation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250: Youth, Peace and Security, and more recently with Finland’s adoption of the globally first National Action Plan on this resolution. While important steps, we also call for seeing the participation of young people in peace building – and the society at large – as being directly linked to the question of human rights. And even more broadly we argue that this is key for the realisation of all human rights in general, since conflict is always a threat to human rights, and we cannot achieve lasting peace without the youth.
3. Intersectionality
In addition to special issues relating to wide themes of climate crisis and peace, it is crucially important to stress that human rights should be entitled to everyone regardless of their age, nationality, ethnicity, language, skin color, sexuality, gender, physical ability, religion, status, or other such things.
Among other groups, young people as future active citizens and decision makers should be valued in societies and consequently their rights as human beings should be acknowledged in all spheres of life including education, healthcare, employment and civic and political participation. While youth are in many ways disregarded in human rights discourse, intersectional reasons as multiple overlapping variables exclude some groups of younger generation more than the others. Having access to human rights and equal distribution of mobility opportunities among minorities should be taken into account in discussion on youth rights. Especially youth mobility should be supported nationally and internationally to improve life prospects among all the youth and to give them better possibilities to grow into active participants in the future.
For instance, Finland as a top-ranked country in higher education welcomes a great number of international students per year, while when it comes to the job market, most of the international graduates are excluded due to their nationality and Finnish language skills. All groups of young people should have equal access to human rights as future active citizens in the society and issues preventing their opportunities should be actively addressed nationally and internationally.
Conclusion
Ensuring youth rights is crucially important because it is clear that all the youth deserve to have equal access to their rights. It is also important to understand that not addressing these issues will have long term effects in all aspects of societies. If the young people can have access to their full human rights they can have an important role, for example, in peace processes, tackling the climate crisis and realisation of everyone’s human rights. This is why the UN Youth of Finland wants to use this opportunity to ask Finland to promote the youth rights during its term on the UN Human Rights Council. By doing this Finland would significantly contribute to the future where all the youth all over the world could enjoy the full access to their human rights and use their full potential to build a more peaceful and sustainable future, together with today’s decision makers.
On behalf of the UN Youth of Finland on 2.2.2022
Camilla Ojala
Puheenjohtaja
Suomen YK-nuoret