SARAJEVO –cooperation between youth and decision-makers are necessary, it was concluded during the panel “Youth participation in decision-making and EIP for the WB6”, organized by the Youth council of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Youth council of Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the Connecting Youth platform, established in 2017 to promote youth connectivity in the region. It is the only initiative of its kind that works as a methodical tool to promote cooperation and dialogue between youth as means for a resilient and diverse region.
During the panel, the focus was paid to the dialogue of youngsters with decision-makers and it was concluded that this is the only way to create better conditions for youth. The panelists stressed the need to provide young people with adequate space to influence decisions that affect them.
„The general impression is that both sides can certainly do more, and it is especially necessary to work on informing and strengthening youth groups that will get a space where their opinions are heard and voice is recognized as key in creating quality messages to young people“, it was said during the panel.
Nedim Alibegović, Secretary-General of the Youth Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, says for EWB that some of the basic conclusions from the panel are that it is necessary to continue creating a plan for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
„It is necessary to continue working on the creating of working groups with the aim of creating a plan for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee in BiH, as soon as possible. In addition, it is very important to invest money in order for the employment programs to give the expected results“, believes Alibegović.
He emphasizes that the Economic and Investment Plan is an opportunity to provide the necessary funds for implementing Youth Guarantee Programme.
“It is necessary to include young people in the processes related to the implementation of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the IPA III program,” Alibegović said.
According to the Secretary-General of the Youth Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are not enough opportunities for government representatives and young people to have a dialogue, and this event is one of them.
“At this event, it is envisaged that government representatives and young people will lead a dialogue and work together. Thus, we must create a framework in which these dialogues will be continued and constant because such processes can help young people and improve their position in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” says Alibegović.
At the end of the event, a panel discussion was held on the topic: “Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans in the eyes of young people”, where our guests were representatives of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Federal Employment Agency.
“Bearing in mind that this document is still unknown to the general public, we discussed the next steps towards improving employment policies for young people and better connecting the countries of the Western Balkans.We paid special attention to the “Youth Guarantee” and the “Common Regional Market” as models according to which the Region has committed itself to strive, and for which youth structures in BiH will play an active role in supporting and monitoring these important processes for BiH youth. “, concluded Alibegović.