Belgrade, 12 August 2019 – Young people are central for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, this message is being reaffirmed with the new UNFPA new corporate strategy for adolescents and youth, “My Body, My Life, My World!” launched today in New York on International Youth Day.

“Young people realizing their rights to make informed choices about their own bodies, their own lives and the world they live in is a matter of justice and a driver of a lifetime of returns. So far, we directly empowered over 2,000 young people in Serbia; we challenged their views on gender stereotypes, reproductive health issues, and supported them in spreading positive messages in local communities. We worked with young girls, but also young men including youth from refugee/migrant population currently staying in Serbia”, states Marija Rakovic, Acting Head of UNFPA Office in Serbia.

My Body, My Life, My World! comes at an opportune time, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo when 179 governments adopted a landmark Programme of Action which set out to empower women and girls for their sake, and for the benefit of their families, communities and nations.

In November, high level delegation from Serbia will attend the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25, a high-level conference to mobilize the political will and financial commitments urgently needed to finally and fully implement the ICPD Programme of Action, 

“Commitments our country will make at the Nairobi summit will greatly benefit young people in Serbia. We look forward to seeing how UNFPA can continue to support these processes in near future, especially in the context of 2030 Agenda” adds Rakovic.