Youth agency to be set up

A youth agency is expected to be set up in the coming months to safeguard the interests of young people.

The announcement was made by Youth Parliamentary Secretary Clyde Puli when he launched the National Policy for Young People covering the next three years.

The policy serves as a guideline for the agency and includes areas directly related to the well-being of young people, such as the family, education, employment, health, culture, sport, entertainment, justice, the environment, information and mobility. Mr Puli said the policy "identifies the priorities in the youth sector so that they are addressed by the government and those who work with young people.

"It does not focus on the problems of youths but understands that they are important to the development of society," Mr Puli added.

Work on the policy began two years ago, when the Youth Parliamentary Secretariat appointed a group of young people and academics to revise a former document. It is also based on a report drawn up by the National Youth Council and takes United Nations' declarations into consideration, specifically those related to human rights.

The National Youth Policy, as drafted by the youths themselves, proposes a holistic vision that would help bring out the best of them. Through it, they would not only be representing the future but would also be contributing to its desired formation, Mr Puli said.