A/HRC/34/46 25. States should create structures and adopt measures for the regular, effective and meaningful participation of youth in all established national mechanisms for reporting and follow-up on the implementation of State obligations under international human rights law. 26. Efforts to ensure full and effective participation of youth in public affairs should be combined with the promotion and protection of the right to equality and non-discrimination in national legislation, policies and practice. In this context, States should conduct more research and collect disaggregated data on the actual status of youth rights and their protection at the national level, with a view to exposing and assessing the extent of violations suffered by young people, including discrimination. 27. States should take all necessary measures to ensure the full realization of the rights of young human rights defenders, in particular their right to promote and strive for the protection and realization of human rights. They should take effective measures to protect young human rights defenders and youth organizations against any violence, threats, intimidation, discrimination, pressure, reprisals or any other arbitrary action, including abuses by non-State actors. States should exercise due diligence in preventing violations and abuses against women human rights defenders, who face particular risks, including gender-specific violations, and in combating impunity by ensuring that those responsible for violations and abuses, including gender-based threats and violence, are promptly brought to justice through impartial investigations. 28. States should ensure that all measures to protect the right to education and the regulatory framework for public and private education systems are grounded in the principles of equality and non-discrimination. In this regard, States should eliminate all legislative, physical, financial and cultural barriers preventing children and youth from accessing quality education, including by strengthening efforts to ensure that mainstream education systems become more inclusive of children with disabilities and by adopting effective programmes in the fields of teaching, education, culture and information, with a view to promoting an environment that values diversity and the right of all young people to participate in society. 29. States should include human rights and citizenship education, including media literacy, in the curricula at all levels of general and vocational education and training. States should ensure the effective participation of youth in the design of citizenship education and human rights curricula and in their regular review to ensure their relevance to the needs of young people. Concrete targets and benchmarks should be set for the evaluation of citizenship and human rights programmes to measure and increase their effectiveness. 30. States should provide teachers, trainers and youth leaders with the necessary initial and continuing training in citizenship education and human rights. States should also support non-governmental organizations, in particular youth organizations, including through adequate financial assistance, and recognize them as valuable partners in providing citizenship and human rights education. IV. From formal to transformative participation of youth A. Discussion 31. The discussion on agenda item 3 was moderated by Ian Power, Executive Director of SpunOut.ie, the youth information website of Ireland, and President of the National 8