Youth Parliamentary Academy
Past Event - 29-30 April 2026The Youth Parliamentary Academy (YPA) from 29–30 April, was co-hosted by the Inter Pares – Parliaments in Partnership programme and the National Assembly of Benin. It brought together 85 youth leaders from 77 communes under a shared mission: to bridge the gap between young citizens and parliamentary decision-making.
Held in Grand Popo, Benin, the YPA was officially launched by the National Assembly of Benin in partnership with Inter Pares as part of a broader effort to strengthen structured youth participation in governance - with the aim of not just being a workshop, rather a space for direct dialogue and youth engagement.
Opening the Academy, Prof. Mahugnon Kakpo, Second Vice-President of the National Assembly of Benin, emphasized the strategic importance of youth engagement in democratic consolidation, stating: “this academy is not limited to a training framework. It reflects the conviction that the consolidation of Benin's democracy is based on the commitment and intelligence of its youth.” He also described the Youth Parliament of Benin as “a real laboratory of citizenship, leadership and responsibility.”
Representing the Inter Pares programme, Jonathan Murphy, Head of Programme, highlighted the initiative as part of a wider effort to bring parliaments and citizens closer together, particularly young people, noting: “this academy is part of a dynamic of cooperation aimed at bringing parliamentary institutions closer to citizens, especially young people.” He further stressed the importance of grounding democratic development in local identity, stating: “our traditions, our histories and our memories must constitute the foundations of the democracy we are building in Benin.”
Over 48 hours, participants engaged in an intensive “learning by doing” process. Working in 12 groups, they identified key challenges affecting young people and transformed them into structured, evidence-based policy proposals. Supported by facilitators and experts from the French and Belgian parliaments, they developed concise 90-second parliamentary pitches designed for direct engagement with parliamentary committees.
Throughout the YPA, participants moved from analysis to action, refining their proposals through coaching sessions and collaborative work. They dove into the YPA methodology, a hands-on, ‘learning by doing’ approach that aims to equip them to transform community priorities into clear, structured, and actionable policy proposals.
The final phase of the Youth Parliamentary Academy brought participants into direct dialogue with decision-makers, as they presented their pitches to members of parliamentary standing committees and parliamentary administration. The presentations went beyond expressions of concern, taking the form of structured, evidence-based proposals supported by clear implementation pathways and grounded in the practical realities of parliamentary work.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Representative of the European Union, Muriel Abikou, commended the initiative and reaffirmed continued support for youth participation in democratic life, stating: “the European Union remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote the active participation of young people in public life and the strengthening of democracy.”
The YPA concluded with a shared recognition that beyond the training itself, a more enduring outcome had emerged: a strengthened channel of dialogue between young citizens and the National Assembly of Benin, opening the door to continued collaboration, institutional engagement, and real policy impact.
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