Moldovan parliament passes new law on youth

Chisinau, 30 July /MOLDPRES/ - The parliament on 29 July adopted a new draft law on youth. The document will promote young people’s interests in public policies and will create a viable mechanism to support them.  

Under the draft, “the age limit of young people will range between 14 and 35 years. Presently, it stands between 16 and 30 years. Thus, a better participation of young people in extracurricular activities, including those from rural regions, and involvement in national and international economic programmes, will be ensured,” the document reads.   

Also, the draft provides for stimulation of young people’s entrepreneurial initiatives, facilitation of their employment, turning to account aptitudes and developing professional skills, creating a proper environment for physical development and promoting a healthy lifestyle, as well as providing youth with dwellings. At the same time, the new legislative regulations recommend that the local public authorities involve young people and youth organizations in the process of developing and implementing youth policies.

The provisions of the approved document “regard also the main institutional structures, respectively, the forms of young people’s participation and association. Thus, the National Agency for Development of Youth Programmes and Activities will be set up. The agency will deal with the implementation and promotion of policies in the field, as well as with ensuring the quality of youth services nationally and locally,” the law reads.   

The draft also sees recognition of other informal youth structures, such as the initiative groups, student senates, youth organizations of political parties.

The present law enters into force on the date of its publication.

Official data shows that there are over 870,900 young people in Moldova, of whom 58.6 per cent live in villages and 41.4 per cent in cities and towns.

(Reporter A. Plitoc, editor M. Jantovan)