Establishment and Operationalisation of Youth Councils (PNG0027)

Commitment 8.3.2: Establishment and Operationalisation of Youth Councils

The Government of Papua New Guinea, through the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA), continues to prioritise youth development as a national agenda under the MTDP IV, PNG National Youth Policy 2020-2030, and the National Youth Engagement Strategy 2025 - 2029. Building on the establishment of over 20 Youth Councils (YC) under NAP II, the Government, under NAP III, and in partnership with civil society organisations such as The Voice Inc., will strengthen the functionality, legitimacy, and sustainability of Youth Councils at provincial, district, and LLG levels.

To complement these efforts, three permanent Technical Working Groups (TWGs) will be institutionalised and co-led by NYDA and TVI between 2025 and 2028 on (1) Youth–CSO– State Coordination Mechanism, (2) Youth Legislation and Regulation, and (3) Youth Policy Review. These TWGs will serve as formal co-creation platforms to review the roles, structures, and legal status of Youth Councils and to recommend mechanisms to integrate youth participation into Provincial Assemblies, LLGs, and District Development Authorities (DDAs). The commitment aims to produce a reviewed National Youth Policy, a functional model for youth engagement linked to government funding structures, and clear legal or administrative proposals for long-term institutional reform.

Tables 1-4 below provide a summary of the commitment's activities, key milestones, strategies, and indicators.

Table 1: Commitment 8.3.2: Establishment and operationalization of Youth Councils
Objective

Institutionalise youth–State–CSO dialogue and reform Youth Councils by 2028 through TWGs and alignment with government planning and funding system