In the News
Secretary-General Stresses Need for Reproductive Health Care for Young People
- 23 April 2012
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the need to provide reproductive health care for young people, as well as give them access to the necessary information and the means to protect themselves from sexual abuse and violence.
“We cannot ignore the facts. Many young people are sexually active, and because of this, they may face risks to their health, including sexual violence,” Mr. Ban said in his remarks to the Commission on Population and Development, which opened a week-long session at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Commission, composed of 47 elected Member States, meets annually to discuss population issues and trends in relation to development strategies and policies. The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘adolescents and youth.’
In his remarks to the Commission members and representatives of more than 500 non-governmental organizations, Mr. Ban emphasized that the international community must empower youth in this regard, as they are not only a growing demographic sector, but also a force for change and progress as evidenced by the various popular movements in the Middle East and other parts of the world over the past year.
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