IYOP is a cooperation framework of the youth leagues of seven major political parties in Uganda namely: CP, DP, FDC,JEEMA,NRM, PPP and UPC
Under Uganda’s current multiparty system, political parties are fundamental blocks of the national policy and development framework. By this, young people’s effective participation in Uganda’s political and development processes becomes crucially important for ensuring that policies and positions adopted by political parties address the demands and aspirations of the young generation. Inspired by
the these actions the leaders of the youth leagues of seven political parties decided to establish the Inter Party Youth Platform (IYOP). IYOP is a cooperation framework of the youth leagues of seven major political parties in Uganda namely: Conservative Party (CP), Democratic Party (DP), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Justice Forum (JEEMA), National Resistance Movement (NRM), People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the Uganda People’s Congress(UPC). The activities of IYOP are aimed at strengthening leadership capacities for the youth and advancing their influence on the social, political and economic frameworks of Uganda. Furthermore, IYOP serves its membership as a forum through which young people network and engage on critical topics of development including democracy and governance, trade, climate change, energy, globalisation, ICT, peace and security. The objectives of IYOP are:
• To undertake interventions that assist in strengthening youth league structures as key pillars of Uganda’s multiparty democracy.
• To initiate, influence and promote policies geared towards youth empowerment through lobbying, advocacy, networking and partnership.
• To support the strengthening of capacities of young political leaders and prepare them for leadership functions through training and mentorship; to advocate and improve on youth participation in social, political and economic issues of the country and the world at large.
• To equip young people with the power of information through up to date communication technologies that increase networking opportunities for youths within political parties.
• To collectively engage and influence policies on international peace, climate change, energy resources and security with empathy on the great lakes geo-politics and globalisation and to facilitate linkages between young political leaders in Uganda and those from other parts of the world for the purpose of building networks and promoting understanding of international development challenges, opportunities and priorities.
