VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) launched a new Youth Advisory Committee yesterday, bringing together 25 young people from across the country’s districts to advise on policies affecting their peers. The launch took place at the SNYC headquarters in the presence of the Minister for Youth, Sports and Family, Marie-Celine Zialor, and senior SNYC officials.
The committee is made up of representatives aged between 18 and 30, drawn from youth groups, schools, community organisations, and the private sector. Members were selected through an open application process that ran from January 8 to 19, 2024. The selection panel reviewed more than 80 applications before finalising the list of 25 successful candidates.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Zialor said the committee is an important step in giving young people a real voice in decisions that affect their lives. She noted that the new structure replaces an older model and will meet quarterly to discuss issues ranging from education and employment to mental health and climate change. The minister added that members will also be invited to contribute to national consultations when relevant.
SNYC chief executive Peggy Vidot explained that the advisory committee will operate under a new framework developed over the past six months. The framework sets out clear roles, term limits of two years, and a code of conduct for members. Ms Vidot said the SNYC will provide training and administrative support to help the committee carry out its mandate effectively.
The first meeting of the new committee is scheduled for February 27, 2024. Members will be assigned to one of three sub-committees covering education and skills, entrepreneurship, and wellbeing. The SNYC has said it expects the committee to deliver its first set of recommendations to the ministry by the end of June 2024.
