ANDORRA LA VELLA, 8 June 2022 – Members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s informal network of young parliamentarians have met in Andorra to discuss issues of integration of youth perspectives in the work of the OSCE PA and to identify key areas of engagement. Hosted by the Parliament of Andorra and on the initiative of OSCE PA Special Representative on Youth Engagement Farah Karimi (Netherlands) the meeting brought together parliamentarians from ten countries to exchange experience and best practices focusing on youth participation on national level and to discuss prospects for parliamentary contribution to increase young people’s participation in decision-making processes.
During a video address to the participants of the meeting, OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt (Sweden) stressed the importance of co-ordination of international efforts in promotion of youth agenda in the OSCE area emphasizing the important role that young people can play in development of our societies. “Today, the OSCE is facing one of its most important crises since its creation,” Cederfelt said. “It is a time for questioning, action and innovation. In such times, the integration of youth perspectives in the activities and policies of the OSCE PA is crucial to support human rights, our democracies and the rule of law.”
Emphasizing the importance of establishing platforms for youth-related dialogue with young people, President of Consell Generall (Parliament of Andorra) Roser Suñé Pascuet said, “Our parliamentary delegation to the OSCE PA has always claimed to have spaces like the one we celebrate today, so that the young people of the OSCE participating States can make their voices heard.”
Roger Padreny, Member of Delegation of Andorra and one of the initiators of the network, stressed the importance of promotion of youth agenda by young people. “We are members of different political parties and different ideologies,” he said, “but we have one thing in common: we are all young.”
During the meeting, Farah Karimi, spoke about the results of her work as OSCE PA Special Representative on Youth Engagement, presented her draft resolution on “Effective Youth Engagement towards secure, inclusive and democratic societies” to participants and discussed with young parliamentarians prospects of cooperation and collaboration with the young people in the OSCE PA. “This network of young parliamentarians can be an excellent platform to represent the voices of young women and men in our organization and to include youth in important discussions that we have about the future of our region,” she said.
As part of the meeting, parliamentarians had a chance to present their national policies and strategies aiming on youth participation, exchanged best practices and discussed main challenges and problems that young people are facing in their respective countries. Participants also discussed the ways to promote youth agenda in the OSCE and on national level, coordination with various OSCE Institutions, and future activities of the network, including during the upcoming OSCE PA’s 29th Annual Session in Birmingham.
The OSCE PA’s informal network of young parliamentarians is an initiative that was launched in Washington, DC, in 2020.
