One of the most interesting moments of the visit was the meeting with the local Y-PEER volunteers at the UNFPA country office of in Tashkent. Dr. Babatunde highly appreciated the culture of volunteerism established within the Y-PEER network in Uzbekistan and its contribution to promoting UN values. Notably, Uzbekistan’s Y-PEER network was recognized as the most active and vibrant in 2009 and at the recent “10 days of activism” in the world.

Adressing a question from the UN Information Office regarding the new youth initiatives of the UN Population Fund, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin said the UNFPA, unlike other UN sister agencies, possess a unique methodology of working with youth.

According to Dr.Osotimehin, as part of the new global youth strategy, the implementation of the Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development, and the existing gaps towards the realization of this work will be identified and reviewed. The youth will also look at what’s going to happen beyond 2014. The uniqueness of this meeting is that it’s being organized and lead by young people. Beyond the physical presence, we are using modern technology in order to enable other youth across the globe to participate in this event online.

“This is my first visit to Uzbekistan and after having met the government bodies and talked to local people of Uzbekistan, I can say that I am very impressed by the achievements of both the government and the local people living in mahallas,” Dr. Babatunde said in an interview to the local press.