A/HRC/37/73 Development Working Group on Youth and Peacebuilding (2016); and the Guiding Principles on Young People’s Participation in Peacebuilding (2016), published by the United Nations Development Programme. 7. The recommendations of the tenth session of the Forum are organized under the four items of the agenda of the session. 8. In its recommendations the Forum highlights the primary responsibility of the State to protect — via national education institutions and bodies, local governments and other public offices, public broadcasting agencies and conflict prevention mechanisms — the rights of minority youth. States should comply with this obligation in view of the fact that minority youth may be subjected to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination due to their age and to their ethnic, national, linguistic or religious background; discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation or physical abilities may further accentuate their situation of marginalization. The Forum also calls on United Nations entities to pay greater attention to young persons belonging to minorities, who may need additional support or protection to enable them to engage fully in society. The recommendations also address minority youth directly, encouraging those who wish to bring positive change to their societies to step up efforts with a view to increasing the impact of their advocacy work and to stay connected to their community while also building bridges with other communities. The Forum also urges minority communities, as well as the broader society, to give support and recognition to the work of minority youth in seeking to uphold human rights and to bring about positive change. 9. The recommendations address a wide range of situations faced by young people from minority groups around the world. They demonstrate the differing levels of enjoyment of the rights of minorities in different countries, as well as the commonalities and differences that may exist in the aspirations of young minority men and women. 10. The recommendations are intended to be implemented in countries around the world in full respect of universal human rights standards, regardless of the political, religious, historical and cultural backgrounds or any specific State ideology, religion or value system. II. General considerations 11. The United Nations and its Member States have recognized that younger generations play an important role in their respective societies and contribute to advancing various aspects in the social, economic, and environmental spheres. Such a contribution can only be achieved by ensuring that youth are at the forefront of the decision-making process. This applies equally to young men and women who are members of minority groups. 12. Defending the rights of the youth and supporting their aspirations must be an international and national priority. Global social and economic development are heavily dependent on the active participation of younger generations in this process. In working towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, no one must be left behind; minority youth must not be left out of these processes and considerations. 13. National youth policies, national youth coordination mechanisms and national youth programmes of action are critically important, and fighting discrimination among young people and including the rights of minorities must be strong components. 14. The tenth session of the Forum was an opportunity to hear the voices of young minority men and women who feel excluded from many of these processes. It brought together young people from a number of different countries, most of whom have limited possibilities to address international bodies such as the United Nations. Their situations were diverse, but their aspirations converged towards a plea for acceptance and tolerance, as well as recognition of their rights as members of minorities. 15. The Forum also gave a voice to minority young people seeking protection for their lives and the lives of their family members and communities in situations of conflict or persecution. Some took the floor to denounce situations in which they said Governments or other actors were preventing them from claiming their linguistic, cultural or religious 4