UNITED NATIONS	HS
	Commission on Human Settlements	Distr. LIMITED HS/C/17/L.10/Rev.1 13 May 1999 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH

The Commission on Human Settlements,

Concerned with the appalling situation in which many young people still live, excluded from many parts of society, because of, inter alia, lack of proper sanitation facilities and inadequate space and security,

Recalling the memorandum of understanding between the Youth for Habitat International Network and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat), signed in May 1998,

Noting with appreciation the work done to date by the Youth for Habitat International Network, involving 103 youth non-governmental organizations all over the world in more than 50 countries, on many fields of interest for human settlements and developments,

Recalling paragraph 25.7 of Agenda 21, 1/ stating that each country and the United Nations should support the promotion and creation of mechanisms to involve youth representation in all United Nations processes in order to influence those processes,

Believing that youth concerns should be dealt with using an integrated approach which should allow young people, who are designated key partners for the achievement of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements in paragraphs 182 (n), 120 (a) and 120 (b) of the Habitat Agenda, 2/ to participate fully on local, national, regional and international levels,

Noting with appreciation that some countries have taken steps to include youth representatives in their delegations, and encouraging others to do so,

Aware of the fact that youth are in a vulnerable and crucial stage of life requiring special attention in social policies, education, city planning and many other policy areas, as is highlighted in, inter alia, paragraph 6.19 of Agenda 21,

Strongly convinced that solutions to tackle problems on the global, regional, national and local levels require the participation of all concerned groups, including youth,

Stressing the importance of gender balance in all programmes and actions concerning young people,

Fully believing that young people are not only future leaders, but also partners of the present day,

1. Invites the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) to continue to work with youth organizations, including the Youth for Habitat International Network, in all fields concerning youth, on a participatory basis in all related phases of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda;

2. Calls upon all Governments to take account of the fact that young people are at a challenging stage of their lives, which requires that their expressions of lifestyles and opinions are respected with regard to the Habitat Agenda;

3. Encourages all Governments which have not yet done so to facilitate the presence of youth representatives who may be selected upon the recommendation of youth organizations in future meetings of the Commission on Human Settlements;

4. Welcomes the publication of a popular version of the Habitat Agenda, in order to enable, inter alia, young people to familiarize themselves with its goals and purposes, and encourages all Governments to facilitate the translation of this document into their respective national languages;

5. Decides to include the item "Role of youth in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and Agenda 21" on the agenda for the eighteenth session of the Commission on Human Settlements in 2001;

6. Requests the Executive Director to report on progress made in implementing the present resolution to the Commission on Human Settlements at its eighteenth session.

2/    Report of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II), Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996 (A/CONF.165/14), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II.