A/HRC/34/46 V. Participation of youth in sustainable development and human rights protection in specific contexts A. Discussion 46. The moderator of the panel on agenda item 4 was Francine Muyumba, President of the Pan African Youth Union. The panellists were Ana Saldarriaga, member of the Supervisory Board of AIESEC; Scott Atran, anthropologist at the National Center for Scientific Research of France, Oxford University and the University of Michigan; Hajer Sharief, co-founder of Maan Nabniha (Together We Build It) and member of the advisory group of experts for the Secretary-General’s progress study on youth, peace and security, mandated by the Security Council in resolution 2250 (2015); and Martine Kessy EkomoSoignet, founder of URU (Take off) and member of the advisory group of experts for the Secretary-General’s progress study. Discussions focused on the role of youth in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and in strategies for the resolution of conflicts, peacebuilding efforts and the prevention of violent extremism. 47. Ms. Saldarriaga recommended that young people not be seen as an “issue” that needed to be addressed in each of the Sustainable Development Goals, but rather as protagonists and partners in making the Goals a reality. That perspective would help challenge biased attitudes towards the role of youth and open channels for youth participation in the implementation of the Goals. Ms. Saldarriaga identified three main roles for youth: to raise awareness among young people about the Sustainable Development Goals and their potential impact on their lives; to engage with local and national governmental structures and hold them accountable for implementing the Goals; and to act as role models and become influential leaders. She explained some of the challenges and barriers encountered in strengthening the role of youth in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, such as the lack of transparent, accessible and inclusive implementation plans and the lack of official channels for youth participation in measuring progress. Gender inequality and discrimination against women were among the main obstacles hindering young women’s chances to become influential leaders and drivers for change. She proposed innovative ways to overcome those barriers that would involve traditional and social media, both the public and the private sector and academia. As a preliminary step, it was important to understand young people’s needs and to take into account differences in cultures and education levels among youth, so as to leave no one behind. 48. Mr. Atran noted that human rights, democracy and equality before the law had not been commonplace notions for most of human history and across cultures, and that those principles had been and would continue to be made to prevail only through costly battles. He pointed out that youth had an important role to play in keeping those principles alive and to ensure that radical Islam and xenophobic ethno-nationalism did not tear apart the social and political fabrics. Yet, youth were becoming increasingly marginalized from engagement with the political structure. With regard to the jihadi movement, he expressed the view that perhaps never before in history had so few, with such meagre means, caused such fear in so many, dominating global political discourse like no other subject since the Second World War. He discussed the increasing involvement of women, especially young girls, in facilitating social connections within that movement without being directly involved in the violence or logistical support. To counter the movement’s ideology, rather than focusing on counter-narratives with negative mass messaging, he advocated engagement with real people and actual places. He cited as an example social development projects initiated by young people, in consultation with local sheikhs, that had proven to be successful in turning youth away from violence and fostering feelings of self-worth. He 12