Youth parliaments are a useful civic
education exercise for raising awareness about the functions and procedures of
parliament. In some countries, youth parliaments and councils effectively
represent youth and give them a voice in national decision-making. As
participatory institutions, youth parliaments should have certain competencies,
such as a consultative function for youth-relevant issues. The IPU stresses the
importance of operating budgets for strong youth parliaments.[i]
It can sometimes be unclear whether
the opinions expressed in youth parliaments are taken into account. Frustration
can arise when young people work hard with no traceable impact. From the
beginning, it should be decided which minister or parliamentary committee is
tasked with responding to resolutions. Youth parliaments should not be onetime
events; they should allow for continuous engagement and follow-up. They can be
an important contribution to overall accountability if they succeed in “shadowing”
the national parliament’s work.
See ACE Electoral Materials: IPU, A Handbook on
Child Participation in Parliament (2011) and IPU (2016) Outcome document
of the General Debate on Rejuvenating democracy, giving voice to youth
Example: The Sri Lankan National Youth
Parliament involves 500,000 members of youth CSOs electing members in
district-wide elections. Twice a month, members meet in the capital and debate
issues also being discussed in the national Parliament. Thirty youth ministers
follow the work of national ministries and have working space in them. Members
in general are allowed to enter the committees of the national Parliament and
consult national members. The national Parliament has included the Youth
Parliament’s recommendations in the national youth policy.
Example: The Young Female
Parliament (YFP) in Ghana, is a unique innovation that has been turning around
the lives of young women in the Northern region of Ghana since 2009. The partners NORSAAC (Northern Sector on
Awareness and Action Center) and ActionAid Ghana (AAG), aimed in this program
to address the glaring disparities between young women and young men in their
participation in local decision-making processes. The young women participating
learn to challenge power structures that have historically oppressed females
and violated their rights. YFP was successfully developed and rolled out in 19
senior high schools and tertiary institutions.
Example: The Danish
National Youth Council (DUF) is an umbrella organization with more than 70
member organizations. The council promotes the participation of youth in
democracy and brings the voice of youth to decision-making processes. For
instance, DUF is represented in the 2030-panel, which supports the Danish
Parliament’s cross-party network on the SDGs; advices the Danish development
cooperation as member of the Council for Development Policy; manages the Danish
Youth Delegate Programme; and is chair of the youth climate council, which
advices the minister.
