1. Background (brief history)

In 2005, the government of Valle del Cauca launched a youth-oriented public policy program called La Política Departamental de Juventud (The Departmental Policy for Youth). Such system aimed at strengthening youth democracy and citizenship by increasing participation and skills. By promoting leadership skills, it intended to consolidate youth from Valle del Cauca as social actors capable of negotiating for their rights in different sectors such as culture, social and economic policy, among others.

 

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   2. Areas of expertise

The department is organized in four different sectors: the Technical Departmental Committee for Youth, the Departmental Platform for Youth, an informational system called the Departmental Observatory for childhood, adolescence and youth, and a Departmental Council for Youth. Through these sectors, the Department has promoted the following activities:

• The strengthening and capacitation of youth organization through partnerships and mechanisms such as the autonomous space entitled Youth Social Constitution, which has a Multimedia center.

• Cultural and peace dialogue initiatives, through the promotion of regional and local events such as the Youth Coexistence seminar.

• Participation of youth in the formulation, implementation, follow up and evaluation of local and regional development plans.

• The positioning of the departmental program in several national and international conferences, such as the Iberoamerican Youth Conference, in addition to providing assistance to young women in events for participation and youth empowerment in Guatemala, Spain, Bolivia and Peru.

• Among other activities.

 

   3. Strengths in the ICPD

All of the above mentioned activities contribute to youth empowerment and participation in public policies, fostering youth development and a favorable demographic dividend.

 

   4. Quality assurance/ previous evaluation

Recognized in a publication produced by a partnership between the Iberoamerican Organization for Youth, UNDP, ECLAC, UNFPA and UNESCO. In this study, 20 good practices in public policy for youth were shortlisted, after the analysis of over 100 programs in the region of Iberoamerica.

 

   5. Experience in South-South Cooperation initiatives

As aforementioned, the department fosters the participation of youth in international events and conferences in the region. The government of Valle del Cauca has also determined international cooperation as an important priority in its Development Plans, having created the Office of International Cooperation in 2008. The government has also established partnerships with regional organizations such as the Foundation of Rural Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (Fuderulc).