Nepal – 200 youth representatives called for a bigger role for young people in development planning and action at the first-ever youth conference held in the far-western district of Baitadi.
A ten-point youth declaration was agreed at the landmark summit, which calls for more youth involvement in efforts to end child marriage, open defecation and gender based violence, more youth inclusion in disaster relief efforts and the protection and promotion of local culture.
The Declaration also calls for the establishment of a new district youth employment promotion centre and technical school, new employment programmes for women and girls, life skills training for vulnerable groups and counseling for young people heading abroad for work.
31 new members of the Baitadi district youth network, including 15 females, were selected at the conference that was held on the 10th and 11th of December and organised by the District Development Committee, with technical and financial support from UNFPA - the United Nations Population Fund.
Young people attend the first district youth conference held in Baitadi, Western Nepal. Photo: UNFPA Nepal
“The conference was organized to highlight that the needs of youth are a priority issue as enshrined in key national and international documents such as the new Youth Policy of Nepal, the National Plan of Action for the Holistic Development of Adolescents and the recently endorsed Sustainable Development Goals,” says Bikram Bahadur Chand, Senior Programme Officer at the Baitidai District Development Committee.
Whilst attending as observers, a range of Government officials, political leaders and staff from non-governmental organisations took note of the young people’s demands.
Local Parliamentarian Nar Bahadur Chand hailed the efforts made by young people in advocating for a bigger say in development planning and human rights, and Khem Raj Bista, a local development officer, assured participants that the District Development Committee will do its part to empower young people. He also confirmed that the authority is considering running similar events across the district in partnership with UNFPA.
UNFPA partners with 18 District Development Committees across Nepal to promote youth participation in decision-making and to boost young people’s efforts to advance human rights, health, education, employment and other areas of development. UNFPA also works with youth networks and groups of adolescent girls, assisting with training and support for them to get involved in local development planning and to end harmful practices in their communities.
