Commemorating International Day of Democracy: UNDP calls for inclusion of Youth in democratic processes
Islamabad, 15th September 2011: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the Netherlands supported Strengthening Democracy through Parliamentary Development (SDPD) project, organized a panel discussion entitled "Youth Inclusion and Democracy" in recognition of the International Day of Democracy today. The event was part of a series of activities organized by UNDP to commemorate this day, and to deliberate on democracy in Pakistan.
Participants emphasized on the importance of youth involvement in democratic development. Under this premise, the discussions revolved around three sub-themes of Youth and Democratic Governance; the Political Empowerment of Youth; and Role of Youth in the forthcoming General Elections of 2013. The event was attended by eminent politicians, civil society activists, member of academia, media personnel, and nearly 100 students from around the country.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Toshihiro Tanaka, Country Director UNDP shared the messages from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and quoted UNDP Administrator Helen Clark "Democracy cannot be exported or imposed; it must come from the will of the people. The rest of us can support nations on the path they lay out for themselves to meet their aspirations for equity, inclusiveness and empowerment".
He also highlighted the need to harness the potential of the Youth bulge in democratic development. "With 68% of the population under 30 years of age, youth are the main drivers to support transformational change towards a healthy democratic society with creativity, courage and responsibility," he said.
Ms. Palwasha Khan, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP), chaired the panel on Youth and Democratic Governance. She stressed the need to overcome pessimism and embrace the inevitability of change and for youth to become the drivers of change. 'The power to vote, time and the large proportion of youth are key strengths, and ensure an effective voice in the political process if utilized properly', she stated.
Mr. Salman Abid, Regional Head Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO), reiterated the importance voting for the youth in the upcoming elections and mentioned that the voter registration from the youth bracket in the previous elections had been very low. Mr. Abid also stressed that the first step towards empowerment is for them to create awareness amongst their peers to register their votes.
UNDP works towards the improvement of governance at federal, provincial and particularly district levels through political and fiscal devolution, transparency and accountability, strengthening of state institutions, system and capacity and promotion of local participation and ownership.
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