Policy Paper on Global Governance

Through the Policy Paper on Global Governance the European Youth Forum gives a youth perspective to the developments in matters that concern the entire humanity and are dealt with at the global level. It furthermore proposes ways of involving young people and their representative organisations in deliberations of a global scale and impact. The United Nations is highlighted in this paper as the body most relevant to govern global matters, and one that has a remarkable record of standard-setting in the area of human rights. It is however challenged by a need to reform towards more legitimate decisionmaking processes, as well as by still lacking the willingness of its Member States to implement the many instruments that aim at ensuring human rights and human dignity. Moreover, the Policy Paper moreover puts a strong emphasis on how youth organisations can build upon the United Nations' commitment to young people, and importantly contribute to its improvement and strengthening - if only they are given the opportunity and the means to do so. It also calls for the youth voice to be heard in matters of institutional reform, the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and recognition of specific youth rights. The paper concludes by looking at the role that the World Bank, the G20 as well as Europe play on the global level, and proposes certain steps on how to involve the concerns and needs of young people in these frameworks as well.