In preparation for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children, held in New York in May 2002, IWHC brought together a powerful coalition of 20 representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from 11 countries worldwide. During the conference, we co-convened daily strategy sessions for more than 50 NGO lobbyists to help counter conservative attempts to thwart the negotiations process—largely led by the U.S. government delegation. We also organized Adolescents at the Crossroads, a panel presentation on adolescent sexuality education featuring speaks from Nigeria, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Mexico. Read a full account of the conference here.

In 2002, IWHC contributed to Adolescent Health and Development in the Context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring the inclusion of strong language on sexual and reproductive rights for adolescents. The UN Commission on the Rights of the Child general comment will be used as a basis for future health policies and programming, and will serve as a valuable tool for advocates for adolescent health and rights worldwide.

We continue to document and disseminate information on comprehensive, rights-based, gender-sensitive programs by and for adolescents; produce resource materials for training of teachers and other sexuality educators in developing countries; increase opportunities and capacity for youth activism in program design and implementation; and provide guidance and tools for advocacy on adolescent health and rights issues.

>>More about IWHC's commitment to youth health and rights