The Vanuatu National Youth Council (VNYC), in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development, Sports and Training, is embarking on an awareness campaign on the National Youth Authority Bill (Young People’s Bill) in preparation for it to be passed by P
The campaign, which follows a number of consultations that were conducted in 2015-2016 to develop the Bill, is critical now as the Bill has not yet been taken to Parliament.
The previous consultations were with young people, staff of the Ministry & Department of Youth & Sports Development, Provincial Youth and Sports Officers and Youth Presidents in Port Vila, Luganville, and TAFEA and SANMA Provinces. VNYC has also facilitated consultations with youth stakeholders including the Vanuatu Youth Livelihood Network, comprised of youth-focused organisations and service providers.
The Youth Bill is an initiative supported by the Government to support young people by regulating youth work in Vanuatu. Once the Bill is passed as an Act, a governing body will be established – the National Youth Authority (NYA) – with the core objective of supporting youth work and youth stakeholder’s activities throughout Vanuatu. This means the Authority body will act as an umbrella body conferring between the Ministry of Youth Development, Sports & Training, Vanuatu National Youth Council, youth workers, and youth stakeholders and service providers.
Some of the functions of the NYA are to approve projects for internal and external funding; select candidates for national, regional and international meetings or conferences; and, keep records of registered youth groups, youth service providers, and youth workers. Additionally, youth service providers and youth workers operating in Vanuatu must register with the Authority.
According to VNYC, young people will benefit from the Bill in many ways whereby they will be supported to actively participate in nation building. Youth groups whom have already registered with VNYC will remain registered, while unregistered youth groups must register when the Bill becomes an Act.
In the lead up towards the Bill being passed as an Act in Parliament, VNYC with financial support from the <Pacific Leadership Program (PLP)> will undertake the awareness campaign to inform young people and their communities and garner support for it to become an Act.
The campaign will cover the provinces of TORBA, MALAMPA, SHEFA, PENAMA as well as Port Vila Municipality, commencing this week in SHEFA. Consultations have already been undertaken in the provinces of TAFEA and SANMA as well as in Luganville. With this boost in civic engagement on the Bill, we expect it to be passed in Parliament this year, 2017.
In order to ensure that the greatest number of young people are informed about their bill, the VNYC Media Team will be providing updates on the campaign and the status of the Bill via its social media sites and in local press and radio.
VNYC would like to acknowledge the funding support of the Pacific Leadership Program (PLP), an Australian Government initiative, for supporting this activity and youth development in Vanuatu.
VNYC's activities on the Youth Policy are funded by the Pacific Leadership Program (PLP) as part of its support for future developmental leadership. PLP is a regional initiative of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that recognizes the pivotal role of leadership in development. PLP builds, applies and shares knowledge on developmental leadership i.e. individuals, organisations and other stakeholders working together on inclusive policy and institutional change for the public good. PLP works at the regional level, including with regional organisations; and nationally and sub-nationally in four countries – Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa and Tonga.