A global campaign has been launched to urge world leaders to prioritize the needs and the rights of young people in the post-2015 development agenda.

#showyourselfie is a petition with a difference. The selfie is the signature, and the campaign seeks to mobilize millions of young people and their supporters to tell decision makers across the world that young people must be at the centre of plans that will shape our future.

Starting today, people around the world are encouraged to take and submit a ‘selfie’ via twitter, Instagram or the website www.showyourselfie.org. The campaign will collate the personal portraits and stories and present them to decision makers as a massive display of public support for increased attention to and investment in the capabilities of young people, specifically in the areas of reproductive health, education and training for work and life.

Over the next 13 months, UNFPA and Global Citizen will work closely with partners, networks and organizations to gather the “selfie” which will be handed over to Member States at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2014 and 2015 to remind them that the time to invest in young people is now.

Lao PDR also takes part to the campaign, by encouraging young people to participate. Participants should take their pictures with their own messages on how important to “Investing in Young People”, and then post to UNFPA Lao Face Book page using#showyourselfie.

The campaign starts from today until September.

For more information please contact:

Ms. Vanly Lorkuangming

Communication Associate – UNFPA

Tel: +856 21 315547

Mobile: +856 20 77822456

E-mail: lorkuangming@unfpa.org