Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A three-day Youth Legislation workshop held in Juba from Wednesday to Friday called for stronger youth participation in the drafting of legal and policy frameworks, with participants expressing concern over delays and under-funding of the youth-related bills.
The workshop, organized by Markaz Alsalam in collaboration with the South Sudan National Youth Union (SSNYU) and supported by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), brought together youth leaders, students, and officials from key ministries, including Youth and Sports, Higher Education, Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and Gender, Child, and Social Welfare.
During the workshop, participants reviewed several critical draft bills concerning youth affairs, including the Youth Development Policy Bill, Youth Enterprise Development Fund Bill, Women Enterprise Development Fund Bill, National Youth and Sports Council Bill, and the Student Support Welfare Fund Bill.
However, the legislative status of many of these bills remains unclear, with most participants raising concerns about a lack of transparency and political commitment.
“With over 70% of South Sudan’s population under the age of 30, the workshop aimed to ensure that youth voices are meaningfully included in legislation, governance, and national development,” said Thess Marial Rong Ayok, Secretary General for Public Relations at the SSNYU.
“Participants reviewed and identified gaps in key bills such as the Youth Development Policy Bill, Youth Enterprise Development Fund Bill, and the Women Enterprise Development Fund Bill. It is deeply concerning that most of these bills remain underfunded or stuck in draft stages, affecting millions of young South Sudanese.”
Ayok noted that the Youth Development Policy Bill has passed all stages of public consultation and is now with parliamentary security bodies for final review.
The youth recommended that the Youth and Sports Council Bill be split to reflect diverse youth interests, and called for an increase in the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ budget.
They also urged the inclusion of youth, women, and persons with disabilities in lawmaking processes.
While a national YPS strategy is in place, the youth said no corresponding legislation has yet been enacted yet and they called for an urgent need to pass a Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) law.
Other recommendations included the inclusion of youth health issues in future legal frameworks and the scaling up of civic education and inclusive dialogue between youth and government.
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