Action Paper on Youth Policy in Ivanovo

candidate city

ACTION PAPER ON YOUTH POLICY We, the youth representatives of the Ivanovo Model United Nations Group (IMUNG), Ivanovo Association of Youth Diplomacy, youth organizations and structures of the city of Ivanovo, gathered at the Open Youth Debate devoted to the United Nations Day and 20th Anniversary of the Ivanovo International MUN Conference in the Ivanovo State University with observers from the Bidding Committee "Ivanovo 2015: European youth Capital – Candidate City" and the Program Committee "Braga 2012: European Youth Capital" discussing European youth policy focused on: - The Conclusions of the Youth Event held in St. Petersburg on 22-23 September 2012 prior to the 9th European Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth; - European Youth Forum Strategic Priorities 2013-2018 adopted by the Extraordinary General Assembly, Brussels, Belgium, 22 April 2012 realizing: a) the necessity of ensuring the degree of youth involvement in decision-making process; b) the importance of consideration of young people as a full-right subject of youth politics at the municipal level; c) the urgency of investing funds and powers in professional training of young people; d) the intention to contribute to eliminating Nazism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance among youth; e) the shared responsibility for the youth politics conducted in Ivanovo region; f) and the significance of participation of our city of Ivanovo in the European Youth Capital contest

offer the following recommendations as a basis for the road map to develop youth policies in Ivanovo and Ivanovo region in 2013-2015

In the Field of Higher Education and Employment 1. The approach set by the European Youth Forum considering education as life-long learning should be involved and students at all levels of the educational system should be motivated to continue their professional development.

2. A “youth guarantee” principle should be established to ensure employment, further education or training for all young people after they have completed the appropriate level of education.

3. The principals developing by the Non-Formal Education Quality Assurance Network under the aegis of the European Youth Forum as well as the European Quality Charter on Internships and Apprenticeships should be discussed with youth and representatives of educational institutions, governmental bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders operating in Ivanovo region in order to increase the understanding of these initiatives by young people and different actors in society.

4. Compulsory professional orientation, testing and practical skills should be included into the curriculum of middle and high school.

5. Granting noncommercial organizations which programs are directed to rise professional efficiency among youth should be expanded.

6. The effectiveness of the local authorities should be evaluated due to the youth employment rate.

7. The legislatives of the Ivanovo region should develop mechanism of setting quotas for the first work places of young employees.

8. Special youth employment service at regional level should be created.

9. Ivanovo youth organizations should cooperate with the National Youth Council – the full-right member of European Youth Forum – to impact the process of formulating a large-scale, long-term, trans-national project aimed at developing the best practices of young people employment.

In the sphere of Mutual Respect and Intercultural Dialogue 10. The Ivanovo ombudspersons for human and children rights should undertake the necessary measures to cooperate with the youth organizations as to promote the values of mutual respect and tolerance among youth.

11. The association of school ombudspersons should be created aiming at developing the common approach to the issue of intercultural dialogue, mutual respect and tolerance in the sphere of education in Ivanovo region.

12. All means of learning Russian language by labor migrants should be developed to prevent the increase of tension in the intercultural dialogue.

13. Youth organizations of cultural-national autonomies are encouraged to take active participation in annual award of Council of Europe “Young active people”.

14. We appeal to National Youth Council (Russia), Conselho Nacional de Juventude (Portugal), Mladinski Svet Slovenjie (Slovenia) and other fullright members of European Youth Forum while exercising the Program “All Different – All Equal” to make special emphasis to Russia.

In the question of Youth Participation in Decision-making 15. We urge Ivanovo regional authorities and local bodies to enhance the creation and improve the activities of existing youth parliamentary structures at the municipal level.

16. We urge Ivanovo regional Duma to initiate the amendments to federal legislation concerning lowering the active voting age to the local bodies to 16 years.

17. Programs of young specialists exchange between local authorities of the cities involved in the European Youth Capital contest should be established in order to widen their horizons and perspectives.

18. We are ready to create regional association of young deputies (members of regional and municipal parliamentary structures up to 30 years old), in order to consolidate their legislative potential and improve the law-making process by means of providing the association with power of legislative initiative at the regional and local levels.

19. Young people and youth organizations should work out the mechanisms of their active participation in Electronic (Open) Government at all levels.

24th October, 2012 Contributed youth organisations and structures: - Ivanovo Model United Nations Group - Ivanovo Association of Youth Diplomacy - Ivanovo City Pupils Duma - Youth Chamber of the Ivanovo Region - Youth Government of the Ivanovo Region - Youth Municipal Administration of the city of Ivanovo

- Multinational Russia Club Ivanovo Regional Branch - "Ya and Ivanovo" Newspaper - Student Union of the Ivanovo State Power University - International Relations Department of the Ivanovo State University