Around 30 participants from Finnish governmental and non-governmental structures joined a range of international guests for the welcoming seminar of ICMYO 2010. Among the highlights were former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Erkki Tuomioja, and Ms Anke Green from the UN Program on Youth.
The 2010 edition of the International Coordination Meeting of Youth Organisations takes place in Helsinki, June 3 – 6. The day before the Finnish Youth Co-operation Allianssi organised a seminar with focus on Youth, development and security.
Mr Tuomioja was challenged to speak on global democracy and highlighted the role of the United Nations and the need for reform.
– Global democracy is also about legitimacy, said Mr Tuomioja, and asked where the G20 gets its mandate from.
Ms Anke Green took the audience through the UN Youth Agenda, disclosing the secret that the UN will launch an inter-agency network on youth development on the International Youth Day 2010 (August 12) – which will also be the launch of the International Year on Youth; Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. The year was declared by the UN General Assembly in December 2009.
icmyo.org 