Rede Der BMZ-Jugendbeirat für Deutschland bei der 59. Sitzung der VN-Bevölkerungskommission

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„Excellencies,

distinguished delegates,

and guests,

We stand before you today as representatives of a generation that will bear the consequences of the decisions taken in these halls. And we are not here simply to raise concerns — we are here to help shape a more just and stable future.

We are growing up in a world shaped by overlapping and interconnected crises — armed conflicts, climate-related disasters, displacement and humanitarian emergencies. These crises do not occur in isolation. They do not stop at borders. And neither will their consequences.

We live in an interconnected world. We see what happens when systems collapse — when hospitals no longer function, when infrastructure fails, when families lose their homes and everything they hold dear. It makes me wonder what the future will look like.

And yet, at a moment when international cooperation is more necessary than ever, we are observing a different response:

a turn inward,

a questioning of multilateralism

and a prioritization of short-term national interests.

Amid these shifting priorities, we are witnessing a gradual erosion of fundamental human rights.

Rights that were once considered universal and non-negotiable are increasingly questioned, restricted, or rolled back. And as multilateral cooperation weakens, so too does the collective commitment to protect them.

This is not progress.
It is regression.

What troubles me just as much is what I see becoming normal — in political discourse, in media, in the conversations around me. The idea that equality— equal rights and dignity for all — is a zero-sum game. That caring about others' rights somehow threatens your own. That solidarity is naive.

These narratives are no longer marginal. They are everywhere. And we as a generation are being told that equality is a threat — to us, to our identity, to our future.

That is a lie. And it is a dangerous one.

For generations, multilateralism has been a condition for justice and stability — and today, it is more necessary than ever. Protecting human rights and equality is not the responsibility of some; it is the responsibility of all.

Today still, rights depend on where you are born.

I grew up with access to comprehensive sexual education, contraception, and safe abortion services. I know what a privilege that is. But fundamental rights and access to basic health services should never even be a privilege.

Imagine a girl my age, living under different circumstances. Forced into marriage, forced into motherhood due to economic pressure — or simply because she was never granted the education, access, or the freedom to choose otherwise. Never empowered to decide about her own body or exercise her sexual and reproductive rights.

What happens when she becomes pregnant, not by choice, but by circumstance? She may seek an abortion – while nearly half of all abortions globally are unsafe. Performed without trained providers or medical support, or in places where it remains criminalized. As a young woman, I cannot accept that this is still the reality in 2026. Neither should anyone else.

Those who seek abortions still face social stigmata — while access to potential prevention remains unobtainable. More than 250 million women and girls who need contraception still cannot access it — blocked by financial, educational, and structural barriers. Meanwhile research into male contraceptive methods remains chronically underfunded.

This imbalance reflects structural inequalities. It reflects who is expected to carry the burden — and who is not.

And still, all over the world, women are organizing, advocating, refusing to be silenced. They are challenging a system that unjustly places responsibility whilst excluding them from equal power. This movement is young, global, growing, and it reminds me: change is possible, when we refuse to accept the status quo.

No girl should have to fight for rights that were agreed upon before she was born. No young person should inherit a world where those agreements are quietly dismantled. Let us ensure that rights are not determined by where someone is born — or who they are born as. That is why we are standing hertoday — and that is what we are asking you to protect.

Thank you!“