The Youth Rights Advocacy Toolkit

Who is the toolkit for?

The toolkit is for young people who want to learn more about their rights and how to advocate for them. This toolkit provides information on some of the human rights mechanisms and processes that exist at the global level, and how these can be used to promote youth rights. The toolkit also considers the importance of youth rights in the context of peacebuilding and humanitarian settings. No prior knowledge of or experience with any of the topics covered is assumed or needed.   ¹ For more information on the partnership between UN Human Rights, Education Above All Foundation and Silatech, visit: https://www.ohchr.org/youth/working-and-youth-vulnerable-situations (available in English)   The toolkit is primarily intended for use by young people and youth activists, including young human rights defenders and young peacebuilders, as well as youth-led, youth-focused and youth-serving organizations. International organizations working to promote youth rights, government representatives, Ministries of Youth and Youth Parliamentary Committees may also find the toolkit relevant to their work.   Youth is not a clearly defined age category, a topic addressed in Section A under the question ‘What is youth?’. The present toolkit is mostly aimed at young people aged 18 and older, although elements of it may also be relevant to those aged 15-17. Younger children will likely benefit more from resources focused on child rights.

How was the toolkit developed?

The Toolkit is the result of a joint effort by the United Nations Human Rights Office, Education Above All Foundation and Silatech, based on consultations with young people, including a Youth Advisory Board established within the partnership and consisting of ten young people.   A series of six online youth consultations held in May and June 2022 targeted youth in different countries and regions. The consultations aimed to identify the key human rights challenges and obstacles young people face, including when they advocate for their own rights, and to identify good practice examples, success stories and useful tips for youth rights advocacy. The consultations were jointly facilitated by UN Human Rights and members of the Youth Advisory Board, who also provided extensive input into the toolkit through several rounds of feedback, including an in-depth discussion organized at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France in September 2022.   The toolkit was developed with a view to presenting its content in an interactive, engaging way through a dedicated website or microsite, which will follow the present, initial PDF format prepared for the UN Human Rights website.

How is the toolkit structured?

Following the introduction and a brief overview of some basic definitions, the Youth Rights Advocacy Toolkit is structured in four sections:

• Section A: Human rights basics: principles and the treaties they underpin - how they relate to youth rights
• Section B: Advocating for youth rights
• Section C: Leveraging international human rights mechanisms and processes to advocate for youth rights
• Section D: Youth rights in peacebuilding and humanitarian settings

  The toolkit is structured in a question and answer format. Each section consists of questions and sub-questions that address different topics. For each question, a shorter answer of a few lines to several short paragraphs is provided, along with a longer, more detailed answer for those who are interested to go ‘More in depth’. Where relevant, links to resources where you can learn more and find additional information are also provided.   The different sections complement and build on one another, but can also be used separately depending on your needs and interests.