A debate on the Status and Perspective of Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina held in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina

 
Educated and active youth should be regarded as a potential, not a problem, was the conclusion of the debate on the “Status and Perspective of Youth in BiH”, held today in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, organized by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Rights of Children, Youth, Immigration, Refugees, Asylum and Ethics, with the support of the OSCE Mission to BiH.

After the debate, conclusions were adopted which stated that it is necessary to strengthen the capacities of Youth Councils at all levels of authority in BiH. Thus, all governmental levels ought to create and carry out youth policy evaluations. It is also necessary to keep youth informed, so that they can also make their own suggestions and participate in the decision-making processes. As concluded at the debate, communication with the media must be improved, positive values must be promoted, interests must be represented and budgets for youth must be increased. Recommendations to institutions are the following: to strengthen co-operation with the youth sector, as well as co-operation between the executive power and NGOs, to recognize youth issues, conduct research, and create a youth policy accompanied by adequate budgets.

Aleksandra Pandurevic, Chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Rights of Children, Youth, Immigration, Refugees, Asylum and Ethics, emphasized the existence of a rhetoric of concern in the country, as well as the systematic neglect of youth, while the Deputy Director of the Human Dimension Department of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Ken Palmer, stressed that over the years the OSCE has supported youth participation in public life via civic and political activism. (end)