Where in the Alpine states are youth parliaments involved in the decision-making process? What other institutions are there? What are the legal structures for youth participation? A report by CIPRA, “Youth Participation in the Alps”, is the first to compare the possibilities for young people to shape decisions in the seven Alpine states. The result gives a very varied picture: while Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria offer a robust framework for young people to have their say, in some places, e.g. rural areas of Italy, the possibilities for young people to participate are lacking.

CIPRA has prioritised the increased participation of young people in the Alps and is therefore supporting those who are enabling youth participation. The report explains how it intends to achieve this: in the coming years, CIPRA will develop an Alpine-wide network for youth participation. This will create the framework for a network of well-connected, knowledgeable young people able to help shape their own future in a responsible manner. This review sets out the different ingredients for building such a network.

The report was co-financed by the European Union’s “Youth in Action” programme and is available to download from the CIPRA website: www.cipra.org/en/publications/youth-participation-in-the-alps/