A/HRC/45/39 access to employment and training programmes, to prevent school leaving and to eliminate gender-based violence and discrimination. In the political declaration of the high-level political forum on sustainable development, States affirmed that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls would make a crucial contribution to progress across all Sustainable Development Goals and requested targeted and accelerated action to remove all legal, social and economic barriers to the achievement of gender equality. 43. A few countries reported on plans and projects in favour of children and young people. They underlined specific challenges faced by them and the need for action to address those challenges, including in the areas of health, access to education, the prevention of trafficking, protection against violence and income support. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),10 1 in 5 children in the world lives in extreme poverty, and 665 million children live in poor households. Young people are another group at risk of marginalization. Many are unemployed, and 38 per cent of those working are living in extreme or moderate poverty. In their voluntary national reviews, States mentioned measures to promote education and access to productive employment, to support young people in developing businesses and to offer scholarships to support students from remote areas. In the Human Development Report 2019, UNDP affirmed that, by 2030, 3 million children under 5 years of age are still expected to die every year and 225 million children are still expected to be out of school.11 44. Children and the young people must be among the main beneficiaries of the national policies for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, because they must be prepared to continue those efforts. In the recent debate at the high-level political forum, the need for effective action of States to empower young people, ensure their full participation in productive life and offer enabling conditions for their participation in political life, as well as to support their innovative ideas for positive change, was underlined. 45. A few countries referred to specific measures or plans in favour of older persons. The Economic Commission for Europe drew attention to the diversity of individual needs and aspirations throughout the life cycle and the need to take into account aging populations and the capacity of older persons to contribute to the economy and to society (see E/2019/16). The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia noted the relatively weak and non-inclusive social protection systems, which leave many older persons vulnerable to poverty, sickness and isolation (see E/2019/20). Although in their reports States of the Southern Asia referred to the rights to subsistence and to development as the paramount rights relating to the human dignity of elderly, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific drew attention to the reduced investment in social protection in developing countries in the region, which left many without protection, in particular persons with disabilities, pregnant women and older persons (see E/2019/18). 46. The eradication of poverty, elimination of hunger, the provision of health care and social coverage concern older persons and vulnerable persons directly, and all policies and measures in those fields should benefit them, with particular attention being paid to health care and social coverage. Their rights in those fields, and their human rights as a whole, should be fully respected. At the same time, with the increase in life expectancy States should take into account measures to facilitate their active participation in the labour market and in public life, taking into account their experience and abilities and their capacity to contribute to economy and society. 47. Some countries reported measures in favour of persons with disabilities, including the adoption or revision of specific laws, plans and programmes, in order to remove any policy barriers, to invest in human capital by training persons with disabilities, to improve their quality of life and to implement taxation and financial mechanisms to support them. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific provided information about the need to promote the rights of persons with disabilities, including through the adoption of a decade on persons with disabilities, 2013–2022 (E/2019/18, para. 18). It was noted in 10 11 UNICEF, “Annual report 2016” (UNICEF, New York, June 2017). UNDP, Human Development Report 2019. 11