Nicosia: Cyprus Children’s Parliament becomes an institutional partner of the state following announcements made on Thursday by President Nikos Christodoulides, in the context of the annual Consultation of the Children’s Parliament, at the Presidential Palace, under the auspices of the Office of the Citizen’s Commissioner.
According to Cyprus News Agency, a press release states that the meeting discussed a memorandum drafted on October 29, which includes recommendations, suggestions, and proposals of the Children’s Parliament committees to Ministries, Deputy Ministries, and state bodies on a number of issues.
The student MPs actively participated in the discussion, presenting their suggestions which included the proposal for a sufficient number of psychologists, counsellors, and social workers in schools, an upgrade of all-day school and political and social education workshops in view of the right to vote at 17 years of age.
The youth parliamentarians also proposed safety in student transport, cooperation between agencies through inter-ministerial or inter-departmental committees on youth issues, strengthening the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of the Rights of the Child, tackling violence in schools and training in human relations, internet safety, parent training programmes and funding the Cyprus Children’s Parliament.
Addressing the students, President Christodoulides noted that the government wishes to “upgrade the Children’s Parliament to an institutional partner of the state,” by increasing its budget. He said that this reflects the significance the state attaches to their work as youth MPs and added that direct and continuous contact with citizens, and especially with young people, is “a government priority.”
He referred to the issue of strengthening citizens’ participation in the democratic process by promoting certain initiatives. The President also referred to platforms launched to this end such as ‘Ekfracy’, ‘Citizen Voice’, ‘e-Consultation’, as well as the website diakivernisi.gov.cy that presents the government’s work. He also praised the Citizens’ Initiative Bill, which allows citizens to submit bills by collecting signatures.
He went on to say that the aim is to modernise the state, in order to be able to address current challenges. He furthermore said that the Children’s Parliament’s memorandum will be submitted to the Cabinet so that all Ministries can provide complete and specific answers.
Minister of Transport Alexis Vafeades, Deputy Minister of Welfare Marilena Evangelou, representatives of the Ministries of Interior, Education, Justice and Health, as well as the Deputy Ministries of Research and Innovation and European Affairs participated in today’s process along with Citizens’ Commissioner Panagiotis Palates, the Commissioner for the Protection of Children’s Rights Elena Pericleous and the President of the ‘FONI’ Council, Clea Hadjistefanou Papaellina.