"Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding."

The meeting basically had the set up, of allowing countries within the UN to stand up and make points on the challenges youth of today face (unemployment, climate change, population, decreasing resources, crime, poverty, health etc) and how they have risen up to meet them.
Some countries gave case studies of youth or organisations within their country who have exceeded all expectations and many mentioned how their have been the vocal point of the democratic changes within the middle east.
In addition many also stated how us youth have used social media as a point of communication to create change.

Rio+20 also got a mention with countries stating how important it is for us to be involved now and within these future sustainable development meetings. - don't worry we are on the case.

Participating Youth from around the world also had a chance to speak, who all had the overarching theme of - yes us youth are great, we can do this, this and this; however we are still getting the raw deal and we need you to give us the opportunity to make our future fantastic.

Watching this, and seeing youth and attending countries delegates talk about all these issues and agree on many points of view, you couldn't help think that if they were to write up official action documents a lot could be done.

And their did. Out of this meeting also came A/65/L.87
An outcome document, focusing on

• Member states developing policies and action plans that focus on the best interests of youth
• Encourage gender equality and the empowerment of woman as part of youth development
• Work with youth and those organisations involved with youth to develop on the Millennium Development Goals
• Address the challenges of youth and give priority attention to them
• Strengthen international cooperation
• Recognizing that the majority of the youth live within developing countries and that they face added challenges
• Continuing to be youth focused after the international year of youth
• Dialogue and involvement of youth and youth organisations to continue between themselves and the UN
• Address and tackle youth unemployment

Of course, it is up to the member states governments to address these issues as well as youth/ youth organisations to rise up and shout about issues effecting them, so that change can happen.
Maybe using some of these choice quotes from the meeting will help.

"Youth will meet challenges of today and uncertainties of tomorrow", VP of Saint Kitts and Nevis

"Let us embrace this energy,this creativity,this idealism,for the benefits of all" Ban Ki-Moo UN Secretary General

"We have to give priority to our youth, and particularly to young women to build a sustainable world" Nicole Ameline, France

"The youth are the future of our nations the world" . The foundation of the world is the youth" Kenya Delegate

"We need to move on from youth policy to youth engagement and involve youths in decision-making" Indonesian Delegate

"Though the UN can create change and can unite the world in noticing the importance of us youth. It is up to us, to ride to the challenge and create a sustainable future for ourselves" Simon Howlett aka the writer of this post.