A/RES/S-21/2
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(d) Acknowledge and promote the central role of families, parents and other legal guardians in educating
their children and shaping their attitudes and ensure that parents and persons with legal responsibilities are
educated about and involved in providing sexual and reproductive health information, in a manner consistent with
the evolving capacities of adolescents, so that they can fulfil their rights and responsibilities towards adolescents;
(e) With due respect for the rights, duties and responsibilities of parents and in a manner consistent with
the evolving capacities of the adolescent and their right to reproductive health education, information and care,
and respecting their cultural values and religious beliefs, ensure that adolescents, both in and out of school, receive
the necessary information, including information on prevention, education, counselling and health services to
enable them to make responsible and informed choices and decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health
needs, in order, inter alia, to reduce the number of adolescent pregnancies. Sexually active adolescents will require
special family planning information, counselling and health services, as well as sexually transmitted diseases and
HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. Those adolescents who become pregnant are at particular risk and will require
special support from their families, health-care providers and the community during pregnancy, delivery and early
childcare. This support should enable these adolescents to continue their education. Programmes should involve
and train all who are in a position to provide guidance to adolescents concerning responsible sexual and
reproductive behaviour, particularly parents and families, and also communities, religious institutions, schools, the
mass media and peer groups. These policies and programmes must be implemented on the basis of commitments
made at the International Conference on Population and Development and in conformity with relevant existing
international agreements and conventions;
(f) Countries should ensure that programmes and attitudes of health-care providers do not restrict the access
of adolescents to appropriate services and the information they need, including for the prevention and treatment
of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS and sexual violence and abuse. Countries should, in this context, and
in the context of paragraph 73 (e) of the present document, where appropriate, remove legal, regulatory and social
barriers to reproductive health information and care for adolescents.
74. Recognizing the growing and special needs of youth and adolescents, including reproductive and sexual health
issues, and taking into account the special situations they face, the United Nations system and donors should
complement Governments' efforts to mobilize and provide adequate resources to respond to those needs.
75. Governments, in consultation with national non-governmental organizations, including youth organizations
where applicable, and with the required assistance of United Nations agencies, international non-governmental
organizations and the donor community, should evaluate programmes and document experiences and develop datacollection systems to monitor progress, and widely disseminate information about the design and functioning of
programmes and their impact on young people's sexual and reproductive health. United Nations agencies and donor
countries should support regional and international mechanisms for sharing those experiences among all countries,
especially among developing countries.
V. PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS
76. Governments are encouraged, in dialogue with non-governmental organizations and local community groups,
and in full respect for their autonomy, to facilitate, as appropriate, the involvement of civil society at the national
level in policy discussions and in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of strategies and
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