KATHMANDU: The National Youth Festival, organized in Kathmandu by Samanwaya Nepal to mark International Youth Day, concluded with the release of the Youth Declaration 2026.
Youth representatives from all seven provinces called for good governance, digital inclusion, decent employment, quality education, healthcare, climate action and meaningful youth participation in national development.
The declaration outlines 11 commitments and emphasizes collaboration with relevant stakeholders to advance them. It also calls for stronger multilateral cooperation through technology and partnerships.
The youth representatives called for accessible mechanisms to enable young people to monitor public services, budgets, policies and development commitments, particularly those affecting them. They also demanded meaningful and institutionalized youth participation in policymaking, planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring at the federal, provincial and local levels.
MASTER OF VOICES
The declaration places particular emphasis on inclusion, equality and the protection of youth rights. It highlights the concerns of young women, persons with disabilities, Dalits, Indigenous peoples, Madhesi communities, rural youth, economically disadvantaged groups and other marginalized communities.
On technology, the representatives called for affordable access to digital infrastructure and skills, while advocating responsible use of artificial intelligence, data privacy, digital rights, online safety and measures to combat misinformation.
Two panel discussions were held before the declaration was released.
The first, titled “Youth Policy Dialogue,” featured Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) MP and Chief Whip Krantishikha Dhital, Nepali Congress MP Gita Gurung, public policy expert Dr Prakash Bhattarai and youth representative Majid Ansari. The panel discussed governance, public service delivery and policy reforms, as well as the first anniversary of the Gen Z movement.
The second session, “Youth and the Digital Future: AI and Privacy,” featured advocates Baburam Aryal and Yogita Rai and TechPana CEO Bijay Kumar Timilsina.
The festival was inaugurated by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Viraj Bhakta Shrestha. Addressing the opening session, Shrestha highlighted the growing mental health challenges among young people and stressed the need for stronger social support systems and meaningful personal connections.
He encouraged young people to remain creative and actively engage in public discourse to advocate for their concerns.
Jagdish Ayer, founder and executive director of Samanwaya Nepal, said young people should be viewed not merely as “torchbearers of the future” but also as “questioners of the present.”
