A/HRC/34/46 17. Both panellists and participants repeatedly stated that there were gaps in the protection of the human rights of young people in all regions, who experienced violations of their rights merely because they were young. The enjoyment of economic and social rights and the right to information for the most marginalized youth were essential elements of political empowerment and the ability to take part in public decision-making. 18. Participants put particular emphasis on the importance of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as it represented a profound paradigm shift in the approach to disability whereby persons with disabilities, including youth, were not “objects” to be cared for, but rather “subjects” who enjoyed human rights on an equal basis with others, including the fundamental right to participate in public affairs. 19. The critical role of young human rights defenders in the promotion and protection of human rights and in advocating so that States complied with their obligations with regard to ensuring accountability for human rights violations was emphasized. In the face of a shrinking democratic space, participants referred to increasing reports of attacks directed at youths who stood up against human rights violations, and stressed the need for mechanisms to protect young human rights defenders and ensure accountability when their rights were violated. 20. Responding to some of the questions regarding how youth and youth organizations should strategically engage with other sectors of society, panellists noted that collaborative approaches were required to “deconstruct the dynamics of power” and to challenge the false assumptions around the lack of capability of youth to participate. In that regard, it was suggested that the youth movement had much to learn from the women’s rights movement. B. Recommendations 21. A gender-sensitive approach to the implementation of laws, programmes and measures relating to young people is imperative, given that at all levels of public decision-making, in virtually all countries, young women and girls may be exposed to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that prevents them from the full, effective and equal enjoyment of the right to participate in public affairs. 22. States should promote the full realization of all human rights, in particular the rights to the freedoms of opinion and expression, association and peaceful assembly, as a prerequisite to the effective enjoyment by youth of the right to participate in public affairs. 23. States should adopt specific measures to ensure that young people participate without discrimination in the design, implementation and evaluation of any laws, regulations, policies, programmes or strategies affecting their rights. In this context, particular attention should be given to the direct participation of youth with disabilities in the drafting of laws and policies affecting their human rights, in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 24. States should take all appropriate measures to ensure the full exercise by young women and girls of their right to participate in public affairs. To this end, they should implement empowerment programmes and remove structural barriers to the exercise by women and girls of their right to participation in formal and informal decisionmaking processes. This entails, inter alia, the adoption of measures promoting the engagement and collaboration of all relevant stakeholders, including grass-roots community and religious leaders, to bring about a shift in the norms and values that restrict women’s access to decision-making processes. This also requires allocating adequate resources to initiatives led by young women. 7