Paheja Siririka
The role of the youth is crucial in legislature to push issues affecting young people, and to come up with ways of addressing the plight of the youth, especially in developing nations.
Member of the Namibian Children’s Parliament Rivaldo Kavanga said this while speaking at the 144th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Assembly in Bali, Indonesia, where members of the Namibian Children’s Parliament met with delegates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Kavanga told Youth Corner he was impressed by the contributions made by youth parliamentarians, especially regarding bilateral relations.
“We spoke about shared problems between our various nations, how their structures are formed and how we operate. The whole conversation was centred on how we can learn from one another,” stated Kavanga.
The two nations agreed to further engagements between the two youth parliaments, and established to strengthen the already-excellent relations between their countries and parliaments.
He highlighted the need for an IPU for young people and the urgent need to address climate change at governmental level with the involvement of the youth at the decision-making level.
The IPU is the global organisation of national parliaments and parliamentarians that has the mission of empowering members to promote peace, democracy and sustainable development.
Kavanga added there also was a discussion on leveraging parliamentary budgeting powers for children. The Namibian delegates’ participation at the auspicious event was made possible by the Namibian Parliament under the leadership of the National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Namibia.
The fifth Children’s Parliament is an initiative of the Namibian Parliament.