House Calls for Youth Empowerment at Global Parliamentary Forum

RRI.CO.ID, Samarkand – Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR), Rio Dondokambey, has stressed the importance of stronger international collaboration to empower young people to address economic and employment challenges amid global uncertainty. He made the remarks at the 12th IPU Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Saturday, September 5, 2026.

"Young people in various countries still face challenges in accessing decent jobs, fair wages, social protection, and sustainable livelihoods," Rio said in a written statement, as quoted by dpr.go.id on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

The 30-year-old lawmaker outlined three key points based on Indonesia’s experience in empowering young people. First, he said education and training should be aligned with industry needs and future jobs.

Second, youth empowerment requires not only access to jobs, but also social protection and opportunities for lifelong learning. Third, parliaments have an important role in developing inclusive policies, overseeing their implementation, and ensuring that young people’s voices are represented in decision-making processes.

"Indonesia fully recognizes that youth empowerment is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building inclusive economic growth," Rio said.

Rio stressed that youth empowerment is an important part of promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development, noting that young people are among Indonesia’s greatest assets.

According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), as of 2025, Indonesia had about 64.5 million people aged between 16 and 30. He said this population represents an important strength for the national workforce and could help Indonesia capitalize on its demographic dividend.

At the same time, he highlighted the continuing challenge of ensuring that all young people have access to economic opportunities. One indicator is the proportion of Indonesian youth who are not employed, in education, or in training, which stood at 20.31 percent, or around nine million young people.

"This figure reminds us that economic growth alone is not enough; growth must be translated into opportunities for all young people," he stressed.

Rio cited the Indonesian government’s efforts to address these challenges through skills development, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion. These efforts include the Pre-Employment Card program, vocational education reforms, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as strengthening digital literacy and innovation to prepare young people for the demands of the digital economy.

"International cooperation and the exchange of best practices among countries need to be strengthened to ensure that young people have access to decent jobs, economic security, and equal opportunities to contribute to sustainable development," he said.