A/HRC/39/33 14. The complexity of the definition is also shown at the national level, as it varies across countries and regions. Input provided by States11 for the present report indicates that Bosnia and Herzegovina defines “youth” as persons from 15 to 30 years of age and Canada, as persons from 15 to 34 years of age. Honduras defines it as those from 12 to 30 years of age, Mexico from 12 to 29 and Cuba from 15 to 29. In South Sudan and Zimbabwe, youth are those from 15 to 35 years of age, in accordance with the definition provided by the African Youth Charter. The European Commission defines “youth” as 15 to 29 years of age. 15. The variety of approaches reflects the reality of what youth is: a fluid and nonhomogeneous category, rather than a fixed age group. Youth, unlike other forms of identity, such as gender, ethnicity, caste or race, is a transitory phase of life (see A/72/761S/2018/86), a transition from dependence to independence and full autonomy. It is difficult to define youth by focusing purely on chronological age, as the term can differ depending on sociocultural settings. What must be acknowledged is that the transition from childhood to adulthood, from dependence to independence and autonomy, occurs at different times in relation to different rights. For example, in the labour market, in education and in sexual and reproductive health, independence and autonomy are achieved at different moments. IV. Normative and institutional framework A. Regional and international norms 16. All human rights instruments apply to young people. Yet, at the international level, there is no specific instrument on the rights of youth. While some universal human rights instruments have been dedicated to certain categories of persons, for example women, children and persons with disabilities, this has not been the case for youth. 17. At the regional level, the situation is different. The Ibero-American region has been a pioneer in promoting and protecting the rights of young people. The Ibero-American Convention on the Rights of Youth, which entered into force on 1 March 2008, recognizes youth as the subject of rights and considers them “priority subjects”. It lays out specific rights for young people between 15 and 24 years old and recognizes them as strategic actors in development. The Convention does not have a monitoring system similar to international treaty monitoring bodies but has established a tracking system by which States parties are required to submit a report every two years to the Secretary-General of the Ibero-American Youth Organization. 18. The African Youth Charter, which entered into force in August 2009, underlines the rights, duties and freedoms of youth aged 15 to 35 years. It also paves the way for the development of national programmes and strategic plans for the empowerment of young people. It aims to ensure youth involvement in the development agendas of Africa and their effective participation in decision-making in the region. It does not provide for a specific follow-up and monitoring mechanism, but article 28 sets out the responsibilities of the African Union Commission under the Charter. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is also in the process of drafting a youth charter. 19. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has adopted two key recommendations relating to young people’s rights: CM/Rec(2016)/7 on young people’s access to rights and CM/Rec(2015)3 on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights. While the latter focuses on policies to prevent and eradicate the poverty, discrimination, violence and exclusion faced by young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods, the former is wide-ranging and covers civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and provides guidance to States on improving access to education, autonomy and social inclusion, mobility, active citizenship, democracy and participation, living together in diverse societies, access to information and protection, as well as access to health-care services. 11 See www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Youth/Pages/Contributions.aspx. 5