Youth involvement in national and international policy making processes

What has happened until now? Budapest Conference, June 2004 –CEHAPE –Budapest Declaration Youth workshop in Oslo, March 2006 –Election of the first youth representatives Youth workshop in Luxemburg, March 2007 –Start the process on creating the Youth Friendly CEHAPE

Youth Conference June 2007, Vienna One- day Youth Event 12 June 2007 Election of the new delegates Automatically appointing old delegates to be substitutes for new delegates Working groups about participation Youth Friendly CEHAPE - YFC Where we are now

Section 1. –Water sanitation –City planning and human settlements –Physical activity –Alternative energy and sustainable development –Education, communication –Chemicals and toxic substances Section 2. –Implementation of the European Environment and Health Action Plan (EC Action Plan) Youth Friendly CEHAPE

City planning and human settlements Decreasing injuries by ensuring safe mobility Having better public transportation Minimising air pollution Minimising the noise

Problems with city planning and human settlements –Increasing road traffic accidents –Many drunk, irresponsible drivers on roads –Too much private cars- too few public transportation –Increasing air pollution caused by growing car traffic, factories –Smoking –Green zones are being replaced –Poor control system

Solutions to problems with city planning and human settlements –strenghten control systems, higher age limits on getting driving licence –more bicycle and passenger lanes, crossings and lights –international youth traffic patrol program with ministerial & youths help –better and cheaper public transport, school buses –car-free zones/days –ban smoking in public places, separate smokers and non-smokers –higher taxes –noise regulated zones –more green areas and fines on destroying green areas –take care and keep clean

Implementation of European Environment and Health Action Plan

Problems: –The youth’s point of view is missing –The AP is vague and has no concrete actions –Research is being targeted at adults and not at young people

Solutions: –Involve young people in the political processes –More youth friendly and concrete action plan –Write the document in an easier language –Concrete actions & follow-up on them are needed –Give the universities the possibilities to do research ”by young people – for young people”.

Interactive discussions between national delagations, focal points and youth Closer cooperation and communication between neighbour countries Make easy understandable documents, which concern youth issues Discussion time on the next CEHAPE and EEHC meetings on the YFC Include youth in the national delegations One international youth workshop per year Strengthening youth network by creating a webpage Implementation of YFC –Translation to native languages Future plans and requests until 2009

How to strengthen the network Homepage: Exchanging ideas Easily available for everyone Original and creative flyers about the homepage Database and forum of youth work History of CEHAPE and youth network Reports on meetings Profile of participants

o Youth are willing to participate and take responsibility o Creating national youth networks to maximize participation through local projects o Produce and provide schools with relevant educational literature to raise awareness among students o Advocate NGOs and governmental organizations to effectively implement CEHAPE o Obtain skills in workshops o To be directly involved in the preparation process Expectations from youth involvement

Thank you for your attention!