The National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Regional Consultation Workshop for Southern Region is the 4th regional consultation workshops that took place on the 17th-21 September 2024 at the Somare Institute of Leadership and Governance in Port Moresby.

The purpose of the workshop is to review the NYDA Act 2014, gauge views and opinions of the participants regarding the legal impediments identified in the NYDA Act 2014.

More than fifty participants (NGO, youth reps, community development officer, Stakeholders and Partners) from Milne bay, Daru, Central, Gulf and National Capital Districts raised important views and concerns, especially issues surrounding youth age bracket, lack of coordination, youth representation in the decision making, implementation of youth programs, activities between the national and subnational level.

Director General, Joe Itaki said in collaboration with key partners and stakeholders, NYDA need to work together to raise the bar pertaining to youth interventions, hence the act review is timely to ground programs on a solid legal footing.

“This will help towards strengthening connection from national to the subnational level.

“This is the only time we give our best inputs to change the law process.

“The current Act was done in 2014 and there was no fair consultation workshops like this, as a result there were many disconnection in the Province, District and LLG in terms of getting credible youth services provider who have the recognition to establish the mission,” he said.

In order to change the course of how things were done fifteen to twenty years ago, NYDA aims to create an equal playing field for every youth and stakeholder with strong legal platforms.

All the views and opinions collected from all the stakeholders will be vetted and draft amended version of NYDA Act 2014 will be table before NEC and Parliament.

Related article: https://insidepng.com/modern-youth-challenges-require-new-laws-to-address/

The riots of January 10, dubbed the “Black Wednesday”, has left a huge imprint, with the Marape-Rosso Government not only calling a Commission of Inquiry into the PNG Royal Constabulary but also summoning heads of departments and government authorities responsible for youth policies and intervention to do something.

One of the instructions was to review the current National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) Act 2014 and align it with current trends and challenges facing Papua New Guinean youths.

The National Youth Development Authority recently concluded the Southern and final regional consultation in Port Moresby.

NYDA Director General, Joe Itaki as the chief adviser said through these consultation workshops, led by the NYDA legal team, they now have a clear glimpse of how and where they can position youth intervention programs, as far as legal frameworks are concerned.

“The challenges we faced today is not the same as in the past,” said Itaki.

Dickson Kiragi from the office of Civil Registry said; “We can talk about youth’s developments in the country but if we do not have responsive comprehensive policies and legislation, we will not progress.”

He said the policies and legislation will always become the impediments to the aspirations of the youths.

“In terms of the legislative review and development, it is critical for NYDA and for those of us who facilitate in the youth space to get it right,” Kiragi said.

The revised Act will ensure provisions that will allow youth service providers and the stakeholders to proactively participate. This will allow the Government to allocate grants for them to implement youth activities in the district and LLG level.

The NYDA’s role is to provide coordination, policy and not implementation.

Itaki acknowledged the representatives of churches, youth service providers and stakeholders for its recommendations to the Act review process.

He said partners are to implement youth’s activities in the country therefore it’s very important they participate in such workshops.

Views and opinions collected from all the stakeholders will be vetted and a draft amended version of NYDA Act 2014 will be table before NEC and Parliament, most likely the beginning of next year.