Engaging youth in Turkmenistan
“This two-day Forum is a key step in the process of engaging children and young people in advocating for policies that will ensure the realisation of child rights in Turkmenistan,” said UNICEF Programme Coordinator Regina Molera at the opening ceremony. For participant Alexander Zasorin, 14, the Forum was an opportunity to present his views and those of other young people from his province, Mary, and to make sure that their views are heard by the Parliament that sits in Ashgabat. Consultation meetings with young people from each of the five provinces of Akhal, Balkan, Dashoguz, Lebap and Mary were held prior to the National Forum in Ashgabat. This was done in order to ensure that the views of young people from other parts of the country are well represented. The consultation meetings were also an opportunity for the young people to select their representatives to the National Forum in Ashgabat. Participation of young people is one of the key initiatives that UNICEF supports in partnership with the Youth Union and National Children’s Fund of Turkmenistan. “Young people make up almost half our country’s population,” said UNICEF Social Policy Officer Shohrat Orazov. “UNICEF and the Government recognise the role that children and young people can play in promoting and protecting child rights in this country. By engaging young people in policy dialogue and advocacy, we are in a way contributing to civil society development,” Mr. Orazov added. Further equipping of children with knowledge on national and international legislation on child rights, engaging them into the policy making dialogue were among the key recommendations suggested by young participants. Young people’s recommendations will be presented at a roundtable meeting that will be organised with selected members of the Parliament towards the end of the year. For more information please contact: Mr. Shohrat Orazov UNICEF Social Policy Officer Phone: +99312 425681/82/86/86 Fax: +99312 420830 Email: sorazov@unicef.org Ms. Gulyalek Soltanova UNICEF Communication Officer Phone: +99312 425681/82/86/86 Fax: +99312 420830 Email: gsoltanova@unicef.org Web: http://www.unicef.org/turkmenistan
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