The first main plenary session of the 2014 World Conference on Youth worked off at the BMICH in Colombo on Wednesday, with many delegates, dignitaries and the world’s media in attendance.

The theme of the main plenary session was Mainstreaming youth in the Post 2015 agenda – Looking back. The proceedings worked off on Wednesday with the launch of the official commemorative stamp of the World Conference on Youth 2014.

The first speaker at the main plenary session was Senior Minister of International Monetary Co-operation, Dr. Sarath Amunugama, who spoke of the responsibility of states in focussing on youth.

Senior Minister of International Monetary Co-operation, Dr. Sarath Amunugama expressed the following views:

“When you talk of people, our main focus should be and will be on young people. Because the next set of millennium goals, development goals, will be concerning you and what countries do for their youthful population, will determine whether those countries will grow fast, whether they will have economic development, whether they will tackle problems of poverty or not.”

Also addressing the main session on Wednesday, Subinay Nandy the UN’s resident representative in Sri Lanka said:

“We all have a responsibility to mainstream youth in all post 2o15 development discussions. And more importantly you all have a voice, and you have a right to voice your views and concerns, to have them heard through the international processes, through the national processes, through the regional processes.”

The  floor was then opened for national statements by the Co-Chair of the WCY National Steering Committee, Minister Dullas Alahapperuma.

Following the conclusion of the main plenary session, the delegates dispersed to participate in the numerous roundtable plenaries and breakout sessions on a variety of topics including Achieving Good Governance and Accountability, Inclusive youth participation, Youth rights, Globalisation, Ending systematic inequalities, Gender equality and Empowering marginalised youth.

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