News

Young people can shape the future of the Alps

15.04.2014

A report on the status of how young people are participating in decision making in the seven Alpine states has been released by International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA). The report “Youth Participation in the Alps” is the first to provide an Alpine-wide view of the participation of youth in parliaments, institutions and other legal structures.  The results gives a very varied picture: while Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria offer a robust framework for young people to have their say, in some places, e.g. rural areas of Italy, the possibilities for young people to participate are lacking.

CIPRA has prioritised the increased participation of young people in the Alps and is therefore supporting those who are enabling youth participation. The report explains how in the coming years, CIPRA will develop an Alpine-wide network for youth participation. This will create the framework for a network of well-connected, knowledgeable young people able to help shape their own future in a responsible manner. This review sets out the different ingredients for building such a network.

The report was co-financed by the European Union’s “Youth in Action” programme and is available to download from the CIPRA website.