BY JOY OFASIA
SOLOMON Islands United Party has acknowledged the significant role of youths in shaping the future of the country.
Solomon Islands United Party (UP) is the only party to have a Youth Wing that recognizes youths in the country. The party’s recognition highlights the importance of engaging and empowering the younger generation in decision-making processes.
Bobby Siarana, the Youth Wing Leader of UP, expressed the valuable contributions of youths on the sustainable development of the country at the United Party press conference on Tuesday.
“The party recognizes the youth as the most populated group in the country, as it is stated in the national youth policy of the country that youths are made up of 70% of the total population of the country,” he said.
Bobby said that the Party recognizes the young people as the country’s resource where they can be used and harnessed for the economic and sustainable development of the country.
He said that the party has realized from the past that youth issues remain the same.
“Same youth issues in 1980 are still discussed today in the national youth policy, and we see that there is a lack of effective implementations of these policies,” he noted.
Although young people have been represented in this caretaker Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) policy, Bobby said, it has never been given priority. The country’s youth national budget is the lowest of all.
He further elaborated that there is no commitment to ensure that youth development has taken place, which has led to all sorts of negative activities done by youths in the country.
“Currently, we have the National Youth Policy 2017–2030, which lists current policy priorities and outcomes that are very relevant for young people, and if only there were resources for implementation, we would see development changes,” Mr. Bobby said.
“This is why UP has established the youth wing to push forward for youth agendas, to advocate for them, and to ensure that if the United Party is part of the ruling government in the next government, we want to make sure youth development and issues are a priority,” the youth wing leader said.
Bobby said the United Party has also seen many innovative ideas from young people, but still, they are suppressed, which is recognized by the United Party. We want to encourage young people to come up with ideas that we believe will help with the country’s economy and youth development.
“I call on young people in the country, who are not affiliated with any political party or interested in becoming part of the United Party Youth Link, to register and join the United Party family,” Youth Wing leader Bobby said.
