YCSRR 2011 Annual Report by Youth Coalition

YCSRR Annual Report

2011

YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

I. LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is our pleasure to introduce you to the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights’ (YCSRR) 2011 Annual Report. 2011 was full of exciting opportunities and critical moments for the YCSRR, and the youth Sexual and Reproductive Rights (SRR) movement. Namely, 2011 marked the 2nd half of the International Year of Youth (IYY), the YCSRR took the lead on coordinating a youth-led advocacy strategy aimed at promoting and protecting young people’s SRR, while creating spaces for young people to meaningfully participate in decision-making at national, regional and international levels. Throughout the year, we advocated for our SRR during the UN High Level Meeting (HLM) on Youth, UN HLM on HIV, the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). We also facilitated a series of regional trainings to build the capacities of young people to effectively engage in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), resulting in participants joining their country coordinating mechanisms and NGO Delegations to the GFATM Board. The YCSRR also took steps to launch an Alumni Engagement Programme and innovative communications channels through which past members and staff, partners and young people can engage in our activites, thereby building our network allies and partners. Reflecting on our accomplishments, 2011 was a year of many challenges and opportunities for the SRR movement. We experienced the impacts of the continuing movement of opposition to youth SRHR. Due to the political climate and financial crises, we’ve seen changes in funding patterns, marking a shift away from advancing a youth rights-based agenda. Alternatively, we’ve seen diverse youth constituencies and youth-led organizations mobilizing together in support of each other and our rights. Moreover, we’ve seen increasing opportunities for young people to meaningfully participate in decision-making at national, regional and international levels. In response to these realities, the YCSRR took active steps to position itself as a leader in the youth SRR community. In 2011, the YCSRR membership developed its 20122015 Strategic Plan, creating direction and identifying priorities that will guide the organization in the next three years. This new Strategic Plan aims to strengthen the respect, protection and promotion of young people’s SRR. The Plan prioritizes five channels through which this can be achieved, which include: advocacy aimed at protecting and promoting young people’s SRR in policies and programmes; building capacities to advocate for SRR; engaging in strategic communications in support of our advocacy; increasing our knowledge; and building upon the YCSRR’s internal efficiency and sustainability. With the upcoming reviews of the International Conference on Population and Development Program of Action (ICPD PoA) in 2014 and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, the YCSRR is well positioned to ensure that the post-2014/2015 development framework prioritizes the SRHR of young people. With an exciting year ahead, we invite you to celebrate with us highlights and accomplishments from the year. We also take this time to thank all of our supporters, partners, funders, members and staff for an amazing year. Our work cannot be done without your support! Liping Mian Chair, Board of Directors

YouthCoalition.org

YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

III. ABOUT US

II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights (YCSRR) greatly appreciates all of the organizations and individuals with whom we have worked throughout 2011. Thank you to the following funders and organizations for all of their generous support, without which we could not have achieved so much:

2011 BOARD MEMBERS

OUR FUNDERS

Summit Charitable Foundation; Ford Foundation; Ford HIV Initiative; Ipas; and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

OUR PARTNERS

ActionAID; Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD); Advocates for Youth; AfriYan; Asia-Pacific Alliance for ICPD (APA); CHOICE for youth and sexuality; Coalicion de Jovenes por la Educacion y la Salud Sexual (COJESS); Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era DAWN) Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP); Secretariat of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM); Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+); Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA); HIV Young Leaders Fund; International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA); International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC); Ipas; International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA); Plataforma Nacional de Juventud; Public Health Institute (PHI); Realising Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ); Vienna Youth Force; Women Deliver; World AIDS Campaign (WAC); YouAct; Youth LEAD; Young and Wise; Youth Incentives; Youth Peer Education Network (Y-PEER); Youth R.I.S.E.. From top to bottom Ricardo Baruch, Mexico

Sara Coumans, Netherlands

Emily Hagerman, USA

Oriana Lopez, Mexico

Liping Mian, China

Ivens Reyner, Brazil

Lynda Saleh, Canada, Executive Coordinator

Wissam Samhat, Lebanon

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YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

The YCSRR is an international organization of young people (ages 18-29 years) committed to promoting adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive rights at the national, regional and international levels. We are students, researchers, lawyers, health care professionals, educators, development workers, and most importantly, we are all dedicated activists.

PRINCIPLES AND VALUES

OUR MISSION

●●Sexuality and sexual expression are integral parts of the personal identity of all human beings, including young people.

The YCSRR aims to ensure that the sexual and reproductive rights of all young people are respected, guaranteed and promoted, and strives to secure the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making that affects their lives, by advocating, generating knowledge, sharing information, building partnerships and training young activists with a focus on the regional and international levels.

OUR STRUCTURE The YCSRR is a members-based organization. Our members contribute to the overall success of the YCSRR, while fulfilling its mission. The work of the YCSRR is overseen by its Board of Directors, which is made up of seven members, and the Executive Director. Each Director on the Board of Directors completes a two-year term on the Board, up to a maximum of two terms. In addition to the Board of Directors, the YCSRR has a Membership Committee which oversees the recruitment of new members, the membership renewal process, assesses members’ areas of skills and experience and manages the alumni engagement program. The substantive work of the YCSRR is carried out by Task Forces, organized thematically and by process (some of which include SRR & HIV, abortion, and sexual orientation & gender identity) as well as the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the MDGs. The day-to-day functions of the YCSRR are supported by its staff, based on Ottawa, Canada, which is comprised of its Executive Coordinator, Program Officer, and Logistics & Administrative Officer.

●●Sexual and reproductive rights are human rights, and therefore apply equally to young people. ●●All human rights are universal and must not be limited on the grounds of conflict with religion, culture or tradition.

●●Youth participation is essential to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and rights’ programmes and policies address the realities, concerns and priorities of all young people. ●●Young people have valuable contributions to make to society and must have recognized and respected voices in all policy and decision-making processes. ●●Young people’s access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights information and education is vital for safeguarding and promoting the life, health, and well-being of all young people. ●●Young people’s access to comprehensive, affordable and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, including emergency contraception, is vital for safeguarding and promoting the life, health, and well-being of all young people. ●●All women, irrespective of age, have the right to access legal, safe, and affordable abortions. ●●The sexual and reproductive lives of young people must be free of coercion or the threat of violence. ●●Programmes and interventions that safeguard and advance young people’s sexual and reproductive rights must be fully funded and supported with adequate resources. YouthCoalition.org

YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

April: Commission on Population & Development

IV. THE YEAR IN ADVOCACY Advocacy plays a central role in the YCSRR’s mission and mandate. Striving to influence decision-making processes at the international level, the YCSRR advocates for strengthened respect, protection and promotion of young people’s sexual and reproductive rights. In collaboration with our partners, the YCSRR adopts a long-term and strategic approach to advocacy in order to achieve positive outcomes for youth SRR. For example, in the months leading up to key advocacy events, the YCSRR creates spaces for young people within official country delegations, strengthens young people’s ability to effectively lead advocacy in high-level spaces nationally, regionally and internationally, facilitates strategizing spaces and shares information regarding key political shifts all in order to ensure that the voices of young people are heard in international decision-making processes. With 2011 marking the latter half of the International Year of Youth (IYY), the YCSRR collaborated with other youth-led and youth-serving organizations to ensure that youth SRR issues were integrated into various international decision-making processes. In 2011, the YCSRR brought a delegation of young people to the 55th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the 44th Session on the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, and the High Level Meeting on Youth. The YCSSR collaborated closely with other young people, and although these spaces proved challenging due to the presence of many conservative organizations, the vital role of the YCSRR and its allies proved to continue to ensure that the SRR of young people were upheld and protected in these spaces.

The theme being Fertility, Reproductive Health and Development, the CPD was a critical space for the YCSRR to advocate for increased & renewed political and financial support for young people’s SRHR. In addition to deliving three oral statements to the Gender Assembly with partners from the Youth Caucus, the YCSRR co-organized a networking dinner with country delegations and UN Officials where we delivered a keynote speech on young people’s SRH and the type of commitments to adolescents and young people’s SRHR needed during negotiations. The YCSRR also collaborated on the production of a video of young people speaking directly to member states at the CPD alongside International Year of Youth (IYY) strategy partners, the International Women’s Health Coalition and RESURJ. The YCSRR was able to safeguard gains made in 2009 in the areas of gender equality (the definition of which was contested), the human rights of women, SRH services, HIV and AIDS, financing, civil society participation and adolescents and young people. In the follow-up to the CPD, the YCSRR continued co-chairing the International Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition (ISRRC) CPD Youth Working Group, a group of youth SRHR NGOs working on preparations for CPD in 2012, a key upcoming space focusing on adolescents and youth. By the end of 2011, the youth working group was made up of youth representatives from national and regional organizations.

June: High Level Meeting on HIV Recognizing 30 years into the AIDS epidemic the High Level Meeting on AIDS set out to develop concrete targets to address the epidemic. In this space, the YCSRR advocated for protecting and promoting young people’s SRHR, recognizing the diversities of youth, including young people in decision-making related to the HIV response and ensuring young people have access to information and services related to effective HIV-prevention strategies. Leading up to the HLM, the YCSRR attended the Civil Society Hearings where members had the opportunity to work closely with other civil society organizations in order to develop a set of comprehensive and targeted advocacy messages.

February: Commission on the Status of Women The YCSRR worked with civil society, member states and UN officials to advocate for the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education, gender equality, women’s empowerment and access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the final outcome document. Our presence at the CSW was essential for the SRHR community as few progressive organizations attended, and advocacy efforts resulted in the inclusion of progressive language in the final outcome document. Looking ahead, youth advocates will be able to use this document to hold their governments accountable to commitments made to youth SRHR and influence the development of national-level laws and policies.

July: High Level Meeting on Youth Marking the end of the IYY, the YCSRR participated in the HLM on Youth, where the delegation advocated for the inclusion of progressive language into the official outcome document, ensuring that governments reaffirmed their commitment to the World Programme of Action on Youth. The YCSRR took the opportunity to meet with non-traditional partners via a number of strategizing meetings with non-SRHR organizations during which synergies and opportunities for the YCSRR to strengthen the impact of its work within other movements were identified. For example, the YCSRR met with a number of environmental youth organizations with whom we continued to build partnerships in the lead up to the Rio+20 Summit in 2012 as a way of strategizing around protecting and ensuring youth SRHR and gender equality as a core part of the sustainable development movement, and the Rio+20 process.

During the CSW, YCSRR member from Paraguay, Maria-Ines Romero, delivered interventions during expert panels, on the topics of young women and girls’ participation in science and technology, and the elimination of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.

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YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

V. THE YEAR IN TRAINING

December

Youth Rights Strategy Meeting With support from UNFPA, the YCSRR hosted a 2 day meeting that brought together regional, international and national youth SRHR partners to develop plans for the YCSRR-led Youth Rights Strategy for 2012. The meeting provided a space for organizations to share plans for their participation, capacity building and engagement in the ICPD Operational Review, Rio+20 process and CPD 2012, as well as other national and regional level advocacy initiatives. Following the meeting, the YCSRR liaised with UNFPA to further discuss and input on the draft Global Survey, a key part of the ICPD Operational Review.

RESURJ & DAWN strategizing meeting In December, IWHC, RESURJ and DAWN convened an inter-generational meeting of key feminist activists from the SRHR community. Two YCSRR members attended the meeting that aimed at developing a common vision and strategy towards the 2012-2015 milestones, including Rio+20, Cairo+20, and the MDG review in 2015. The meeting resulted in the development of an outcome document calling for comprehensive SRR services and the protection and promotion youth and adolescents SRR.

UNFPA CSO Consultation on the Operational Review The YCSRR attended the CSO consultation hosted by UNFPA as it was an important space where CSOs were updated on the plans for the ICPD Operational Review, inputted into the strategy and shared information and opportunities. The YCSRR took part alongside other key youth SRHR organizations. As a result of the CSO Consultation, the YCSRR was able to identify key entry points for youth in the review process and develop its strategy to engage in the process in the coming months and years.

Rio+20 Process

For over 10 years now, the YCSRR has been working to ensure that young people working in the field of SRR have a full understanding of their sexual and reproductive rights, and are empowered to exercise and advocate for their human rights. The YCSRR has become a recognized leader in the delivery of trainings, workshops and youth caucuses that increase the knowledge and capacities of young people working in the SRR field. As a result of these trainings, we’ve not only contributed to building the skills and knowledge of youth SRR advocates in a number of regions and countries, but we have also supported the building of coalitions and regional networks of young leaders around the world. These networks and coalitions are essential in ensuring youth-led change, nationally and regionally, and in developing youth SRR strategies and setting the agenda for the youth SRR movement. In 2011, 3 regional trainings were held to increase young people’s understanding and involvement in decision-making related to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM). Through these trainings, the YCSRR built the capacities of over 70 young people, representing diverse youth constituencies, in over 50 countries around the world, while also building strategic relationships with national and regional-level youth organizations. Moreover, these trainings have allowed young leaders to join delegations of the Board of the GFATM, be nominated to attend the GFATM Partnership Forum, join Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCM), and demand greater accountability with increased knowledge of decision-making processes related to the HIV response in Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to issue-specific workshops, the YCSRR organized 3 youth caucuses leading up to the 2011 CSW, CPD and the HLM on Youth. Over the past several years, the YCSRR has become a recognized leader in the organization and delivery of youth SRR caucuses at the international level. The caucuses throughout 2011 focused on building advocacy skills, raising awareness of the International Year of Youth (IYY), strategizing, drafting language recommendations for Permanent Missions to the UN, drafting official oral youth statements, and developing collaborative youth advocacy strategies.

The YCSRR made the decision to engage in the Rio+20 process during the 2011 Annual General Meeting as it was identified as a key space leading to the framing of the post-2015 development agenda, and as a space requiring greater focus on young people’s SRHR, gender equality and young women’s empowerment. In late 2011, the YCSRR joined the Major Group on Children and Youth (MGCY) and the Women’s Major Group. Through these partnerships, the YCSRR began drawing critical attention to the intersections between gender equality and sustainable development, as well as furthering a rights-based approach to the SRHR of young people and adolescents within the Rio+20 process. By the end of 2011, the YCSRR was chair of the Gender Working Group within the MGCY, where we focused on developing themes and objectives on gender equality that would be part of the core messages and objectives of the Major Group.

Advocacy holds a prominent position in the Youth Coalition’s recently approved 2012-2015 Strategic Plan. Reflecting on its advocacy success throughout the year, the YCSRR views the coming three years as a strategic moment to influence key decision-making and review processes,in order to ensure that youth SRR be at the center of the next development agenda.

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YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

January

CSW Youth Caucus 20+ youth advocates supported to attend a progressive youth strategizing meeting.

April

Understanding the Global Fund Training: Panama City, Panama The YCSRR, in collaboration with GFATM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, organized its 3rd regional training for young people on the processes of the Global Fund. Participants from all over Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean gathered in Panama City for the tree day training. In the follow-up, a number of participants have been successful in demanding greater accountability with increased knowledge of decision-making processes related to HIV and AIDS. Specifically, three participants from past GFATM training were nominated to attend the GFATM Partnership Forum, including the Paraguayan participant who was selected to attend the event. Through their participation in Forum, these participants were able to speak directly to their governments, develop relationships with key stakeholders and generate increased knowledge of the regional context.

July

HLM on Youth: Youth SRHR Caucus

In collaboration with IYY partners, the YCSRR organized a youth SRHR caucus to develop advocacy and communications strategies for the HLM on Youth, and to strategize towards a post-2015 rightsbased youth development agenda. Attended by 50+ youth advocates, the Caucus focused on providing capacity building on the HLM on Youth and opportunities for youth advocacy throughout the event and an analysis of the conservative pressures intended to be present during the event, including their potential impact on youth SRHR advocacy.

December

Understanding the Global Fund Training: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The 4th and last ‘Understanding the Global Fund’ training took place in the three days following the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), bringing together young leaders from the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Building on experiences from pervious trainings, this training integrated sessions on bringing youth SRR into the HIV response through alternative channels, beyond those directly associated with the GFATM, and existing GFATM-supported processes at the country level, allowing participants to apply this information to their own action plans.

YouthCoalition.org

Understanding the Global Fund Training: Bangkok, Thailand Building on lessons learned from the 2010 South Africa training, the YCSRR, in partnership with Youth LEAD, organized its 2nd regional training in Asia and the Pacific for the Global Fund. Participants created action plans to identify activities to be implemented in their respective countries. Leadership awards were given to participants with strong action plans that identify activities to be undertaken at the country level. The YCSRR awarded a grant to the participant from Myanmar, while also providing support to all other action plans submitted. Outcomes from the training include: a presentation on GFATM activities at the national level in the Philippines was accepted for the 10th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), the participant from Nepal was invited to become a member of the delegation of the Board of the GFATM.

Youth Caucus: CPD

40+ youth advocates attended the Caucus where they developed an advocacy strategy and 3 oral statements which were presented during the CPD plenary sessions. The statements focused on: Meaningful Youth Participation, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and Young Women’s Health Rights

June

HLM on HIV: Youth Summit

The YCSRR co-organized and facilitated a Youth Summit alongside partner youth organizations and UNAIDS, bringing together over 50 young leaders from around the world, 15 of whom were on official country delegations, to gain an in-depth understanding of the HLM on HIV, Declaration of Commitment, discuss youth priorities within the context of the High Level Meeting on HIV and develop youth advocacy strategies for the Meeting and beyond.

Planning: YC Regional ICPD+20 Workshops Training

VI. THE YEAR IN KNOWLEDGE GENERATION In 2011, knowledge generation was a central objective of the YCSRR’s work. The YCSRR views the creation of resources as an important component of our advocacy work, specifically as it relates to understanding the intersections between SRR and new and emerging issues, such as sustainable development, and supporting an evidence base of relevant and up-do-date information concerning youth SRR. Looking ahead, knowledge generation features prominently in the YCSRR’s 2012-2015 Strategic Plan, which will undoubtedly result in the development of resources for youth advocates on a variety of issues that will increase our knowledge of issues related to SRR and strengthen our advocacy work. In 2011, the YCSRR reviewed and re-printed some of its more prominent publications. The YCSRR also contributed to joint publications including the GFATM’s Youth Guide. Moreover, the YCSRR returned to trends from years past in the regular production and dissemination of watchdogs, the YCSRR’s event-based newsletter containing articles written by young people, for young people. Four editions of the multilingual watchdog were produced throughout 2011 at major events including the CSW, CPD, and the HLM on Youth.

Joint publications Youth Guide to the Global Fund, developed in collaboration with the GFATM, and other youth-led and youth-serving organizations

Watchdog 4 editions of the YCSRR’s watchdog ; 500+ paper copies distributed, thousands downloaded. Distributed to decision-makers, including government officials and UN agencies during the 2011 CSW, CPD, and HLM on Youth.

Preparations began for the YCSRR 2012/13 ICPD regional workshops aimed at building the capacities of young people to meaningfully participate in the operational review at the regional and national levels. Training preparations began in late 2011 for the first of the 4 regional workshops in Asia Pacific. The YCSRR began engaging with partners in the region, including the UNFPA regional office (APRO) to begin planning the objectives, format and focus of the training.

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YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

VII. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

VIII. COMMUNICATIONS

With voluntary members from over 14 countries, the YCSRR prioritizes organizational development as a means of maintaining value, effectiveness, staff and members’ motivation and recruiting new, skilled members. Therefore, the YCSRR invests in key mechanisms and strategies to ensure the organizations’ sustainability and growth. Such mechanisms and strategies include our Annual General Meeting (AGM), monthly virtual Board of Director Meetings, and biannual in-person Board of Director Meetings.

In 2011, the YCSRR initiated a coordinated shift towards a more impactful approach to communications, in line with the objectives of the newly approved Strategic Plan. Based on an extensive review of the YCSRR’s existing communications channels in 2010, the YCSRR moved into the world of social media. Throughout the year, we strengthened both our internal communications while continuing to build a strong external support base. With a relatively young Facebook page, the YCSRR now has well over 1,400 followers, which continues to grow at a steady rate. Similarly, the YCSRR’s Twitter feed has proven to be an effective means of engaging young people on issues related to youth sexual and reproductive health and rights, drawing attention to key international-level decision-making processes, while also reaching out to diverse youth constituencies. In an increasingly interconnected and ‘live’ world, the YCSRR is increasingly equipped with the technology and capacity to be a leading voice in the youth SRHR community. Similarly, the YCSRR News, the YCSRR’s subscription-based newsletter, continues to provide young people with a platform to share information related to upcoming advocacy and capacity-building opportunities, job openings for progressive young people, and news related to young people’s sexual and reproductive rights, among other issues.

16 members and staff attended the 2011 AGM where 4 new members were elected to the Board of Directors. During the 2011 AGM, members approved the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan, laying out the YCSRR’s plans to strengthen its position as leader in the international youth SRR movement, and signaling shifts towards greater organizational efficiency, transparency and accountability. Similarly, the YCSRR regularly invests in internal knowledge and skills building, through internal trainings during the AGM, among other opportunities throughout the year. During 2011, members attended an internal skills-building workshop, facilitated by YCSRR members and staff, on the principles of results based management (RBM), and applied newly acquired skills in the development of the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan.

Since January 2011, the Membership Committee has… ...Welcomed 7 new members & renewed 5 memberships.

...Initiated an alumni engagement program, liaising with over 60 members from around the world, in support of the youth sexual and reproductive rights movement. Check out an interview with former member, Nadia van der Linde

Online presence Since its launch in 2010, the YCSRR has 1,400+ followers from around the world. The YCSRR regards facebook as an effective channel to engage young people in our advocacy efforts, disseminate resources and build an international network of youth SRR advocates.

YC-NEWS continues to grow, with over 590+ subscribers. During 2011, 55+ updates were sent out.

YC-NEWS

In 2011, the YCSRR website received a record number of 1,365,734 hits, up 18% from 2010.

YouthCoalition.org

The YCSRR’s twitter handle, @youth_coalition, has 540+ followers. Twitter has proven to be an engaging way of bringing diverse youth constituencies into international-level advocacy spaces.

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YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Awareness raising ‘Understanding the Global Fund: Panama training’ ●● UNAIDS article ‘Empowering young people in Latin America to participate in Global Fund processes through national mechanisms’”

Commission on Population and Development ●● Collaboration among the International Year of Youth strategy partners, the 44th CPD Youth Caucus, International Women’s Health Coalition, and RESURJ ●● Official Youth Statement, on Meaningful Youth Participation delivered to the Chair of the CPD and the country delegations in plenary ●● Official Youth Statement, on Young Women’s Health, delivered to the Chair of the CPD and the country delegations in plenary

High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS ●● Roundup: United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) Serving the UN and NGO Community Other external press ●● Lancet article “Is there enough investment in young people” Clearly, substantial efforts are needed to involve young people in decision making. Some initiatives are being implemented that could inspire further action. In Ghana, for example, the non-governmental organisation Young and Wise has partnered with the Youth Coalition and UNFPA to incorporate the rights and needs of young people into the growth and national poverty reduction strategy. This scheme includes strengthening of young people’s capacities to monitor and assess its implementation, and to hold their government accountable.

High Level Meeting on Youth – July 2011 ●Out-Of-The-Box ● Advocacy: New Ways of Communicating for a New Generation ●● Youth Caucus Prepares Young People for the Global Summit ●● UNFPA Promotes Young People’s Voices at Upcoming Global Gathering

YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

IX. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Creating Partnerships, Strengthening Knowledge The YCSRR recognizes, and highly values a collaborative approach towards the realization of our mission while maintaining sustainability and overall success, particularly as it relates to advocacy-related initiatives. Throughout 2011, the YCSRR built critical relationships with country Missions to the UN, as well as youth-led and youth-serving civil society organizations working at national, regional and international levels. Critical to the YCSRR’s advocacy efforts at the UN are not only relationships with governments, but also UN agencies and development organizations. The YCSRR also built relationships with non-traditional partners, including the World Association of Girls Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGS), Amnesty International, Taking it Global, World Student Christian Federation, Restless Development, ActionAid International, Women=Men, and Bahai International Community (UN office). Committed to growing the network of youth SRR allies, the YCSRR attended a number of events and conferences with the objective of establishing partnerships and strengthening relationships with strategic actors. Throughout 2011, the YCSRR attended the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition Meeting, EuroNGOs Conference & YouAct’s Changemakers Workshop, the Mali Youth Summit, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria’s (GFATM) Partnership Forum.

Publications During 2011, the YCSRR prioritized the external dissemination of its existing publications to wider audiences, including diverse youth constituencies. Leveraging international-level advocacy events taking place within the scope of the International Year of Youth, the YCSRR distributed its hard and soft copies of:

Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition Meeting

MDG Factsheet Series

Created in partnership with Choice for youth & sexuality

Meaningful Youth Particpation

Young People and Universal Access to Reproductive Health

Youth-Led Organizations and SRHR Created in partnership with Choice for youth & sexuality

Learning to Speak the MDGs, 2nd ed.

THE RHSC Meeting was attended by the YCSRR’s Executive Coordinator in order to generate increased knowledge on the issue of reproductive health supplies, while also developing strengthened partnerships with existing funders, and exploring the establishment of new funding relationships. The Meeting was a critical space for the YCSRR as very few young people attended the Meeting. Moreover, the Meeting reinforced the need to bring a human-rights based lens to these spaces, while emphasizing the rights of young women and girls.

Advocacy Campaigns

EuroNGOs Conference and YouAct’s Changemakers Workshop

COMMIT 2 Youth is a collaborative advocacy and communications campaign launched during HLM on Youth to ensure that young people be at the heart of the next development agenda. The campaign prioritized 4 key messages which served to unite young people during the International Year of Youth under a common platform as we look ahead towards the end dates of the ICPD PoA and the MDGs.

Attended by YCSRR member from the Netherlands, Wieke Vink, the Conference and Workshop drew increased visibility to the YCSRR at the regional level, bringing together leading SRHR organizations and young SRHR leaders from the European Region. Topics covered included youth advocacy in relation to the rising movement of conservative organizations, sexuality education, and female genital mutilation. During the Conference, Wieke received positive feedback from our partners regarding the YCSRR’s publication Freedom of Choice: A Youth Activist’s Guide to Safe Abortion Advocacy and its use in practice.

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YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Mali Youth Summit The Global Youth Summit on HIV brought together over 150 youth activists from around the world to discuss the HIV response, exchange experiences and develop a ‘Call to Action,’ uniting the voices of young people in the lead up to the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS. Three YCSRR members attended the Summit and took a leadership role in the drafting of the Call to Action, while also drawing attention to critical issues including ensuring young people have access to SRH information and services.

Biennial GFATM Partnership Forum, Brazil The Forum brought together various stakeholders in the HIV response in order to receive input on the GFATM’s new 5-year strategic plan. Having facilitated a number of regional ‘Understanding the Global Fund’ trainings in the months leading up to the Forum, the YCSRR was well situated to input into the strategic direction of the GFATM with a strong understanding of GFATM’s internal structures and funding mechanisms.

YOUTH COALITION ANNUAL REPORT 2011

X. 2011 Financial Highlights Gross fundraising revenue $594,765 Total activities expenditure $586,643 Expenditures

2011 Youth Coalition membership & staff

Vincent Abrigo, Philippines Tina Andriamehefa, Madagascar Tanya Baker, Canada/Trinidad Ricardo Baruch, Mexico Victor Bernhardtz, Sweden Rosario Castro, Sr. Logstics and Administrative Officer, Canada Muge Cevik, Turkey Katie Chau, Canada Stephen Chukwumah, Nigeria Sara Coumans, Netherlands Emily Hagerman, USA Joe Hammoud, Lebanon Sarah Kennell, Programs Officer, Canada

Imane Khachani, Morocco Samuel Kissi, Ghana Oriana López, Mexico Talal Maarouf, Egypt Jessica Main, Logistics and Administrative Officer, Canada Liping Mian, China Igor Mocorro, Philippines Nida Mushtaq, Pakistan Luka Oreskovic, Croatia Ivens Reyner, Brazil Kokou Senamé, Togo Wissam Samhat, Lebanon Remmy Shawa, Zambia

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Nadia Ribadeneira, Ecuador Maria Ines Romero, Paraguay Lynda Saleh, Executive Coordinator, Canada Veena Singh-Bryar, Fiji Neha Sood, India Nino Susanto, Indonesia Prateek Suman, India Daniel Townsend, Jamaica Emily Turk, Sr. Communications Officer, Canada Wieke Vink, Netherlands

Sources of Revenue

* Audited financial statements available upon request. YouthCoalition.org