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.