Justice for All holds a workshop on the enactment of the Palestinian youth law in Gaza

Gaza, Publication and Information Unit:
The Justice for All project at the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution held a youth workshop entitled "Enacting the youth law: an analytical view and future hopes" at the premises of the Al-Wedad Society for Community Rehabilitation in Gaza, with the participation of 40 young men and women from youth organisations and groups and attended by representatives of the legislative and governmental bodies in Gaza.

At the start of the meeting, the assistant coordinator of the Justice for All project, lawyer Anwar Azzam, stressed that the Conflict Resolution Center is concerned with coordinating and communicating with young people by shedding light on their issues and bringing views closer together between young people and organisations of every specialism. He added: "The Centre focuses part of its efforts on programmes dedicated to young people, the latest being a closed youth camp for the leaders of the political student bodies at the Palestinian universities, to work on ending the division."

For his part, the legal counsel Abdel Hamid Al-Aila addressed the mechanism of regulating and enacting laws within the Legislative Council as the body competent to issue and legislate laws, and how the division of the Legislative Council because of the political division has led to conflicting decisions issued by it in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. He pointed to the Ministry of Youth and Sport as an executive body bound by the decisions issued by the legislative bodies and working to apply the laws, in addition to speaking about the readings and the enactment of laws within the corridors of the Legislative Council.

For his part, the legal counsel of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, Amjad Sharab, stressed that the Palestinian youth law was issued through sound legislation and procedures in accordance with the Basic Law and the internal regulations of the Legislative Council's sessions, that it was presented in a first and second reading and was sent to President Mahmoud Abbas by fax, but that he did not respond by ratifying it. He added: "The president's failure to respond within a month means the law is deemed issued, given the law's importance for an important group in Palestinian society, covering support for young people in the lending and marriage fund, health insurance and young people's rights in all matters relating to their lives."

For his part, the director of the Ruwwad project at the Al-Wedad Society for Community Rehabilitation, Ayman Abu Karim, said his association followed the enactment of the law in all its clauses and contributed, as civil society organisations, by adding some amendments to certain articles before it was enacted. He called for providing a suitable climate to support young people in the coming period by applying the law's provisions and giving young people the opportunity to express their views and supporting them in processes of inclusion and of political and social participation in Palestine.