Doc. 7677
2 October 1996

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on youth participation in political life

presented by Mr GROSS and others

1.       The Assembly notes

i.       the increasing lack of interest shown by young people in political institutions;

ii.       the growing concern displayed by young people for fundamental social issues (such as pollution, exclusion and racism), which is expressed in a variety of forms;

iii.       youth initiatives inspired by the practices of representative democracy (establishment of youth parliaments, demands for a lower voting age).

2.       Accordingly, the Assembly considers

i.       that it should take stock of youth initiatives taken in member states aimed at participation in political life;

ii.       that it should support such initiatives in order to avoid further disaffection by young people for the functioning of democracy, inter alia by setting up information exchange networks on initiatives taken and by organising meetings between representatives of youth parliaments in order to encourage greater youth participation in political life.

Signed:

(see overleaf)

Signed: 1

Gross, Switzerland, SOC

Averchev, Russia, SOC

Blattmann, Norway, SOC

Caputo, Italy, EPP

Columberg, Switzerland, EPP

Degn, Denmark, SOC

Dinçer, Turkey, SOC

Dovgan, Ukraine, UEL

Fehr, Switzerland, LDR

Gatterer, Austria, EPP

Gonzalez Laxe, Spain, SOC

Guirado, Spain, SOC

Hoeffel, France, EPP

Kirkhill, United Kingdom, SOC

Mignon, France, EDG

Muehlemann, Switzerland, LDR

Plattner, Switzerland, SOC

Ringstad, Norway, LDR

Schicker, Austria, SOC

Shishlov, Russia, LDR

Van der Maelen, Belgium, SOC

1 ¹       SOC : Socialist Group

      EPP : Group of the European People's Party

      EDG : European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

      UEL : Group of the Unified European Left