Dr. Ingrid Liebeskind represented the ICJW on Wednesday February 25 at the opening of the Human Rights Council’s 61st Session in Geneva. You can watch the video of her speech here:
(You can also click here to watch the video: https://youtu.be/A9EDJJlk5ec )
Dr. Liebeskind spoke about Youth Unemployment and Barriers to the Right to Work, calling for the Human Rights Council to address the situation of nearly one in five young people worldwide who are “NEET” – not in employment, education or training. Young women are disproportionately affected, because their exclusion is compounded by discrimination, early and forced marriage, unpaid care responsibilities, and limited access to the digital sectors. She called for investment in young women’s employment, which is not only about reducing unemployment. It is about advancing equality, preventing intergenerational poverty, and strengthening social cohesion. “This is not only an economic issue — it is a human rights concern. Mr. President, we call on the Human Rights Council to act!”
ICJW is an NGO at the United Nations in Geneva and our representatives attend the three annual sessions of the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies that are based there or meet there regularly. NGOs in Geneva may attend all open public sessions and submit written and/or oral statements, which they try to coordinate/co-sign with other like-minded NGOs, on subjects such as violence against women and education for peace. ICJW representatives also participate in discussions with the UN Special Rapporteurs and attend the Universal Periodic Reviews, where countries’ records on issues such as human rights and discrimination against women are reviewed by their peers.
