PM Youth Council announced; Climate Champions, Excellence Awards on the cards

ISLAMABAD: On the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the ‘Prime Minister Youth Council’ has been formed for Pakistan. The proposed mandate for the council is multifold. Chief among its jobs is to formulate Pakistan’s first National Youth Policy.

The Youth Council has been established under the supervision of Chairman Youth Program Rana Mashhood. In the first phase, 100 young Pakistanis have been selected for the Council, which includes 13 youth living outside the country and across different countries.

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The Prime Minister Youth Council will also act as advisor to Prime Minister in policy making. They will primarily be focused on addressing environmental challenges, including green economy.

The new council will create a draft for the constitution, to institutionalise the council. It will also set an internal mechanism for accountability and feedback among council members.

The council will also work to support marginalised youth, by providing support in mainstreaming of youth including young women, religious and gender minorities, specially-abled, and those belonging to rural & remote areas. Youth not enrolled in education, employment or training will also be considered marginalised. The council will liaison with institutions and organisations that work for youth development, both national and international, to increase resource allocation and eliminate structural barriers to ensure adequate participation from all youth.

The council’s agenda will also include promoting awareness and access to reproductive health. Without adequate access to these services young people are exposed to greater vulnerabilities, gender-related health issues and harmful cultural practices. The council will work on mainstreaming of the subject matter while advocating for life skills based education.

Today, the Commonwealth Asia Youth Summit and Asia Regional Youth Ministers meetings will be held today. Tomorrow, the Youth Council’s oath-taking ceremony will be held. Prime Minister Sharif will administer oath on members of the newly formed council.

Climate Champions and Youth Excellence Awards will also be given to young people. Going forward, the Youth Council members will participate in various academic and practical activities.

The members of the previous batch will serve as the alumni of the National Youth Council going forward. The tenure of the National Youth Council will be for a period of two years effective from the date of this notification.

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Here is the full notification as issued by the Government of Pakistan: