The Danish Family Planning Association, Sex and Samfund (S&S) and the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) organised a Young Decision Maker’s seminar on 30-31 January in Copenhagen, Denmark that was held in the framework of the Countdown 2015 Europe Project, of which EPF and S&S are members. The seminar brought together more than 30 Young Decision Makers in leadership positions in the youth sections of their political parties across Europe.

The seminar was a follow-up on the delegation of 9 European Young Decision Makers, who participated in a study tour to Uganda (1-8 August 2009). The aim of the trip was to study the unmet needs in reproductive health supplies and services in Uganda and the resulting impact on global human development.

The YDM meeting in Copenhagen focused on the global necessity of investing in reproductive health services and supplies as an essential precondition to reach the Millennium Development Goals as agreed on at international level. During the two days, the Young Decision Makers focused their discussions on the still unacceptably high numbers of maternal mortality especially in sub-Saharan Africa and the need for family planning programmes meeting the needs of young people. An initial discussion was also held on the linkages between SRHR and Climate Change.

Young decision-makers have shown leadership in their actions for global development, especially for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and are in a position to influence youth issues both nationally and internationally. During the seminar the young decision makers felt the real need for working together on the above-mentioned topics which led to the development of a strong declaration on family planning, reproductive health supplies and sexual and reproductive health and rights that was signed by representatives from all political parties. In addition, a Facebook group named “YDM on SRHR” was created to facilitate communication and to be able to better advocate for the focus areas discussed within and across political parties.