Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Youth Policy being reformed to suit oil and gas, ‘green state’ prospects
The ultimate aim of National Youth Policy (NYP) is to outline the agenda of the Government, in relation to the priorities for all young people under the age of 35. It represents a stated commitment to improve the situations of young people, in a manner that is empowering, inclusive and sustained.
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton
Recently, an addendum was put in place to revise the policy.
After parliament approved of the policy in 2015, it was required of the Ministry to review and revise the policy every five years. An addendum is now being put into action.
During an interview with Kaieteur News, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, related that the policy is being reviewed and revised to take account of the oil and gas sector, and inclusive of the fact that Guyana is aiming to be a “green state”.
According to the Minister, many such changes have sprung up, but the Ministry did not anticipate the aforementioned, mainly because of the time when the policy was drafted and developed. Thus, he explained that the addendum would capture all of these changes.
The reform is currently being complied and revised by Henry Charles, a consultant from Trinidad and Tobago. Charles is an International Youth Development Specialist and Strategy Advisor. He is an advocate of transformational approaches to youth development. His research interests are Youth Policy development; Youth Governance and Participation; Professionalization of Youth Development Work; Youth Employment and Youth Leadership using critical consciousness and appreciative inquiry theoretical construct.
Furthermore, the Social Cohesion Ministry plans on going out into different regions of Guyana to educate people, especially the youths, of the policy and the importance of it to them. The minister did note that that plan of action has not yet commenced because of the changes that they would’ve encountered during the redrafting to the policy, “which takes time.”
“There is no doubt about the fact that people need to know what is in the policy, for two reasons; if our actions do not coincide with what is stated in the policy, then stakeholders have a right to insist that we do so. Secondly, if what the policy mandates, we [the ministry], are not in favour of, then we also have the opportunity to make adjustments to it.”
When the final drafting of the National Youth Policy has been completed, it will be presented to the Guyana Youth Council and other stakeholders like USAID, CFIR, UNICEF, and a technical working group that comprises ministerial representatives, for perusal. Adjustments will be made to the document, and after that is completed, it will be presented to parliament to be scrutinised, and further abridged.
Minister Norton could not state a time when all of that would be done, but he did reassure that plans are in progress.
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