Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 149: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the UN Commission on Population and Development resolution on the theme Adolescents and Youth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23742/12]

Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The 2012 session of the UN Commission on Population and Development was held last month in New York. The theme of this year's session was 'Adolescents and Youth'. Ireland was represented by officials from my Department. As is customary, there was close coordination between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Health in relation to Ireland's input into the Commission both in advance of, and during, the session.

The theme of the 2012 session was particularly timely, given that the number of adolescents and youth globally has reached an all time high of 1.2 billion. It was very encouraging to see so many youth representatives attending the Commission and contributing to its deliberations.

The Commission focused in particular on the global challenge in meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of young people and adolescents, in line with the commitments made by the international community at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). Maternal mortality, HIV prevalence and the unmet need for contraception are all particularly high amongst the 15 - 19 year age group, most notably in sub-Saharan Africa. Providing reproductive health care services and information to young people is therefore vital for progress towards key international development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

I was pleased that the Commission was able to adopt unanimously a comprehensive and forward-looking Resolution on the theme of Adolescents and Youth. The Resolution emphasises the key importance of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, urges governments to ensure access by young people to sexual and reproductive health care services, focuses on the need for comprehensive evidence-based education on human sexuality and sexual and reproductive health for young people and reiterates the importance of strengthening HIV prevention, treatment and care for young people. These priorities are very much in line with Ireland's own approach to meeting the needs of adolescents and young people, both domestically and as part of the Government's Official Development Assistance programme.