The participation of young people in the formulation and implementation of youth policies is essential. The issue was discussed in the national workshop “Development of the local public administration’s institutional capacities concerning the representative youth bodies in the working out and implementation of youth policies” that was staged by the Ministry of Youth and Sport with the support of the Eastern Partnership Youth Regional Unit (EPYRU) that is financed by the EU, IPN reports.
Attending the event, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport Sergiu Stanciu said that this workshop is one more step taken towards developing local public authorities’ institutional capacities for involving the young people in the decision-making process at local level. Currently, the level of youth participation in policy formulation does not meet the necessities and expectations of the young people. The young people do not feel part of the decision-making process. “We are making effort to promote and encourage the participation of young people by different methods, by documents and strategies,” stated the deputy minister.
The draft National Youth Sector Development Strategy includes a series of stages for promoting and encouraging the young people to become involved in the decision-making process, both at local and central levels. The representative youth bodies are one of the efficient mechanisms. The local youth councils can strengthen the capacities of the young people and represent a voice and a resource in the process of working out and implementing youth policies.
Head of the EPYRU implementation unit Hans-Jürgen Maeth said that it is important to hear the young people when formulating youth policies. The youth should be empowered to take part alongside the public authorities.
Head of the Ministry of Youth and Sport’s Youth Division Ion Donea said the involvement of young people from the existing bodies, including resource centers for youth, initiative groups and local youth councils, is one of the methods of ensuring youth participation in decision-making. These young people already know the essence of the problems and how to solve them. At practical level, there should be other forms of consulting the young people such as public debates that can be organized quarterly.
Senior consultant of the Youth Division Constantin Turcanu said the young people are those who, by involvement, suggest really efficient solutions to their problems and the local public authorities are the closest bodies that can hear them and they can address the problems and difficulties of the youth in their documents. It is important to develop the institutional capacities so that the young people feel comfortable and are encouraged to participate in the public life.
The national workshop brought together over 50 youth sector specialists of the local public administration and of resource centers for youth, representatives of civil society and of representative youth bodies, international experts and representatives of the central public authorities.
