LALITPUR, Aug 24: Members of Nepal’s House of Representatives have pledged to translate youth advocacy into formal legislative action, committing to structured and evidence-based engagement with young leaders across the country.
The commitment was made during the Youth Parliament Dialogue, “From Youth Voices to Policy Action,” organized by Samanwaya Nepal under the project “Strengthening Structured Engagement with Parliament in Nepal,” with support from the Youth Democracy Network (YDN).
According to Jagdish Ayer, president of Samanwaya Nepal and a member of YDN, the dialogue brought together lawmakers, civil society organizations, representatives from the National Youth Council and youth leaders to bridge the gap between grassroots youth priorities and national policymaking.
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Lawmakers welcomed the research-based recommendations presented by the fellows and stressed the need to institutionalize youth participation in parliamentary processes.
“Young people should not merely be consulted on policy matters; they must be provided meaningful opportunities to help shape them,” said Member of Parliament Srishti Bhattarai.
MP Amrita BK emphasized the importance of ensuring that youth participation leads to lasting change, saying the true value of youth engagement is realized when ideas are connected directly to implementation and institutional follow-up.
MP Kamal Subedi, reflecting on his own transition from youth activist to lawmaker, pledged to advocate for the fellows’ recommendations within parliamentary committees.
“The energy of the youth movement must not fade when the movement itself ends,” Subedi said. “It needs a clear pathway into policy, Parliament, and concrete institutional action.”
A key component of the program was the presentation of five policy position papers prepared by Samanwaya Fellows. The papers addressed parliamentary engagement, youth employment, governance transparency, road safety and civic education.
The dialogue concluded with a joint commitment from parliamentarians and organizers to establish structured follow-up mechanisms. The proposed frameworks are intended to ensure that the fellows’ recommendations directly inform upcoming legislative debates, parliamentary oversight and strategic state planning.
