World Conference on Youth adopts Colombo Declaration on Youth: Mainstreaming Youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda

At the end of the World Conference on Youth, participants adopted the Colombo Declaration on Youth: Mainstreaming Youth in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The Colombo Declaration includes paragraphs in its recommendations for action on encouraging universal access to sexual and reproductive health services and information for young people, regardless of marital status and encouraging the provision of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in accordance with the ICPD Programme of Action, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.

It also calls for comprehensive sex education based on full and accurate information for all adolescents and youth, but within the national context. (paras 18-20) Other paragraphs support a stand-alone goal on gender equality and the ending of harmful traditional practices and child, early and forced marriage, and providing universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in accordance with ICPD in the post-2015 development agenda. (paras 35-36)