A/HRC/43/63 I. Introduction 1. The Human Rights Council, in its resolution 38/17, reaffirmed the Social Forum as a unique space for interactive dialogue between the United Nations human rights machinery and various stakeholders, including civil society and grass-roots organizations.1 2. The 2019 Social Forum was held in Geneva on 1 and 2 October 2019. It was focused on the promotion and protection of the rights of children and youth through education. The President of the Council appointed the Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Kadra Ahmed Hassan, as the Chair-Rapporteur of the Forum. 3. The programme of work was prepared under the guidance of the Chair-Rapporteur, with inputs from relevant stakeholders, including United Nations agencies, Member States and non-governmental organizations. The present report contains a summary of the proceedings, conclusions and recommendations of the Forum. The list of participants is contained in the annex. II. Opening of the Social Forum 4. In opening the 2019 session, the Chair-Rapporteur emphasized that although more children and youth were in education than ever before, millions were still excluded, and many did not receive a quality education. Djibouti had made great progress towards promoting and protecting child and youth rights through education, and prioritized education in emergencies. In the 2017 Djibouti Declaration on Regional Refugee Education, and the Regional Action Plan, Member States had committed to ensuring that every refugee, returnee and member of a host community had access to quality education in a safe, non-discriminatory learning environment. Much of the burgeoning youth population was from the developing world, and they must be empowered to become agents of change. The Social Forum had historically had a strong focus on the importance of education, young people, and empowerment to achieve rights and sustainable development for all. The Chair-Rapporteur considered the Social Forum an opportunity to bring together children and youth, and those working on education, human rights and sustainable development. 5. The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, described the Social Forum as a unique meeting that allowed States, civil society, and concerned groups, such as children and youth, to discuss creative solutions to human rights and development challenges. The United Nations Office at Geneva had always regarded education as an essential tool to achieve change and inclusive development. It was prioritizing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through the work of its SDG Lab. Empowering children and youth to claim their rights through education was central to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 on access to universal quality education and learning. The participation of local schoolchildren and university students highlighted the relevance and role of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Children and young people were the hope for the future, and all should work to ensure their rights so they may achieve their ambitions. 6. The President of the Human Rights Council, Coly Seck, welcomed the participation of children and young people in the Social Forum. Since 2008, the Council had adopted annually a resolution on the right to education and examined key issues, including commercialization and the regulation of privatization in education, and the justiciability of the right to education. The 2019 resolution on the rights of the child had been focused on empowering children with disabilities, including through inclusive education. Mr. Seck underlined the fundamental importance of human rights education in combating corruption, consolidating democracy, and promoting, protecting and effectively realizing all human rights. He highlighted the World Programme for Human Rights Education’s fourth phase, 1 2 For further details on the Social Forum, see www.ohchr.org/EN/issues/poverty/sforum/ pages/sforumindex.aspx.