ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Youth Forum – Applications now open  As 43% of the world's population is under 25, young people should be involved as key stakeholders in the policy decisions that will shape the future. The upcoming Global Youth Forum, to be held in Bali on 4-6 December 2012, aims to help translate into reality the priorities reflected in General Assembly resolution 65/234, especially its focus on the effective and inclusive participation of all relevant stakeholders in the mainstream development debate. The Forum represents the peak of efforts by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the Indonesian government, other UN agencies and youth leaders to turn the participatory aspirations of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) into a sustainable youth advocacy network. The application process for participation in the Global Youth Forum is open until 15 September 2012. For more information on how to apply and the selection criteria, click here.  Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices  On 9 August, a special event dedicated to the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples took place at UN Headquarters in New York. It focused on the theme "Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices," and highlighted the importance of indigenous media in challenging stereotypes, forging indigenous peoples' identities, communicating with the outside world, and influencing the social and political agenda. More information is available online. Ninth session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee discusses the right to food  The ninth session of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee was convened between 6-10 August 2012 and discussed several recommendations to be submitted to the Human Rights Council for approval. One of the key issues on the agenda was the right to food for rural women and the urban poor. More information is available online. UN Calls for Inputs for Secretary-General's Youth Initiative  The United Nations is developing a System-Wide Action Plan on Youth. This Action Plan will affect the way the entire UN system will work with and for youth in the coming years. The Action Plan will focus on the five priority areas identified by the Secretary-General: (1) employment; (2) entrepreneurship; (3) education, including education on sexual and reproductive health; (4) citizenship and protection of rights; and (5) political inclusion. Before developing this Action Plan, the United Nations is reaching out to youth, youth-led organizations and others for their inputs. It has developed a questionnaire in all six UN languages to better understand the concerns of young people around the above-mentioned issues. To access the questionnaire, click here. The first World Congress of Partnership provides networking opportunities for young women from Asia and Africa  UN Women and Daksung Women's University organized the first World Congress of Global Partnership for Young Women from 10-13 August 2012, in Seoul. The event provided a competitive arena for knowledge sharing among university students from Asia and Africa, on international women's issues. More information is available online. OHCHR: Call for input on children's right to health In preparation for a forthcoming report by the Office of the High-Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to the Human Rights Council (March 2013) on children's right to health, NGOs and civil society organizations are invited to send written contributions on:
- the main health challenges related to children;
- the main barriers in implementing children's right to health; and
- examples of good practices undertaken to protect and promote children's right to health, particularly in relation to children in especially difficult circumstances. Contribution (five pages maximum) should be sent to registry@ohchr.org, no later than 1 October 2012. Follow NGLS on Twitter @UNNGLS To stay up to date on relevant UN processes, civil society voices, and our newsletters and articles, follow NGLS on Twitter @UNNGLS. | 
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