A/HRC/35/7 that young people should be partners in development by contributing new ideas and participating in measures to promote positive change in society, particularly with regard to sustainable development, conflict prevention and the realization of human rights. 29. Representatives of non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions drew attention to examples of the violation or denial of the rights of children and young people. One national human rights institution raised the issue of the abuse of children in detention, stressing the importance of the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. One non-governmental organization noted that in more than 100 countries, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were under threat. Nonetheless, a number of countries had taken measures to facilitate youth participation in public affairs, with 131 countries around the world having established national youth councils, although they remained limited in their funding and political influence. 30. Non-governmental organizations highlighted the imperative for all States to integrate the rights of children and young people throughout national policies and programmes. One pointed out that young people had little guidance or knowledge on how to follow the work of human rights bodies and promote human rights in their countries, and called upon Member States and the Council secretariat to create more youth-friendly mechanisms and platforms to engage and empower young people in human rights processes. They drew attention to the importance of the 2030 Agenda as an opportunity to advance the rights of young people, but noted that in order for it to be successful, young people must play an active role throughout the 2030 Agenda implementation and review processes. V. Conclusions 31. The panellists emphasized that many issues raised in the discussion were connected to poor governance and persistent challenges to ensuring peaceful political transitions. Young people were demanding participation, justice and respect for the rule of law. It was essential to recognize that policy choices contributed to the challenges experienced by young people, such as poverty and unemployment, and that young people could play a range of roles in society: as positive agents of change, victims of human rights violations or even perpetrators of violations. Good governance and democracy were essential to bringing about positive outcomes for young people. 32. Regarding the role of the Human Rights Council for youth empowerment, panellists highlighted the need for more substantial information on the role of youth and for young people themselves to have more information about the legal aspects of the human rights framework. In order to support the mainstreaming of the rights of young people and to ensure that Governments were responsive to young people who were deprived of their rights, efforts should be made by Member States to systematically consult young people, including in the drafting of submissions to the universal periodic review. 33. Panellists emphasized the importance of involving young people in resolving conflicts in schools. For example, in Colombia there had been a successful initiative to reduce school violence whereby every young person had a role in the school, which operated like a city with a mayor and a cabinet. When violence did occur, young people were trained to act as mediators and to resolve disputes. Due to the success of that participatory approach to reducing violence, the initiative was being adapted to the situation in France. With respect to youth participation, young people should be taught about human rights in a way that was appropriate to their age group. 34. One panellist welcomed the fact that the forthcoming Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law would focus on the rights of young people, and encouraged States to include youth representatives in their delegations and to ensure the participation of youth organizations in the Forum. It was important for Member States to take action on the issues raised in the panel discussion, including by way of a 8