Friday, 04 September 2026
MEDAN | INDATANEWS.COM - The Advocacy Network for a Youth Regulation (Jaringan Advokasi Perda Kepemudaan/JAPER), comprising the North Sumatra Civil Society Forum (FORMASSU), the Medan City Anti-Drug Organization (LAN), the Advocacy Organization for the Use of State Budget Funds (LAPAN), and LPKSI, has urged the Medan City Government and the Medan City Council to immediately initiate the drafting of a Regional Regulation (Perda) on youth affairs.
The demand reflects concerns over the future of Medan's younger generation, which JAPER considers to have a strategically important role in regional development. JAPER believes the municipal government must establish a youth policy backed by a strong legal foundation so that programs for young people are not implemented sporadically, on a short-term basis, or merely through ceremonial events.According to JAPER, youth development requires a comprehensive, measurable, and sustainable legal framework that also provides certainty and consistency in budget planning and allocation. This is in line with the mandate of Indonesian Law No. 40 of 2009 on Youth, which recognizes youth development as an important component of national development and assigns corresponding duties and responsibilities to regional governments.
In JAPER's view, it is not enough for the Medan City Government to merely conduct short-term training programs and youth activities spread across various agencies and departments. The government must instead establish a support system with clear directions, objectives, indicators, and long-term continuity.
JAPER said Medan could use DKI Jakarta Provincial Regional Regulation No. 2 of 2016 on Youth as one of the references for drafting a comparable regulation. The regulation defines youth development as part of regional development that should be planned and implemented by the government in a targeted, integrated, and sustainable manner.JAPER also emphasized that such a regulation would provide young people with a strong platform to fulfill their roles as a moral force, a social control mechanism, and agents of change. The principle is particularly relevant to Medan, given the need for greater participation by the younger generation in various areas of regional development.
Young people, JAPER said, should not merely be treated as objects of development. Instead, the government must involve them as active participants and strategic partners in the formulation and implementation of regional policies.The civil society groups that make up JAPER also stressed the importance of young people's right to participate in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of youth programs, as well as in strategic decision-making processes related to youth affairs.
Therefore, JAPER called on the Medan City Government to draft the youth regulation with broad public participation. The process should involve youth organizations, university students, school students, communities, academics, community leaders, business actors, and other youth groups."Do not enact a youth regulation without listening to the voices of young people. Youth must be involved from the preparation of the academic paper through to the deliberation of the draft regulation," the four organizations said in a joint statement.
According to JAPER, the Regional Youth Action Plan must contain clear objectives, indicators, programs, and activities. The plan should also establish the direction and strategy of youth development, target groups, targets, as well as programs and activities for a five-year period.
Through this approach, the regional government would be able to transparently evaluate the implementation of youth programs. At the same time, policies would not change solely because of a change in leadership or annual political shifts.In addition to planning, JAPER considers ensuring adequate budgetary resources to be one of the key issues that must be addressed through the youth regulation. JAPER again referred to DKI Jakarta Provincial Regional Regulation No. 2 of 2016, which allows youth development to be funded through the Regional Budget (APBD), youth organizations, the business sector, the community, and other lawful sources of funding.
JAPER called for the future Medan youth regulation to clearly establish mechanisms for planning, budget allocation, implementation, monitoring, and accountability in youth programs.Such certainty is important to ensure that youth programs receive attention not only when the government organizes particular events. The regional government must ensure that budget allocations are provided transparently, appropriately, and accountably.
JAPER also warned the Medan City Government against reducing youth development to ceremonial events. Policies must instead address various real-life issues directly affecting the younger generation.Areas of youth development called for by JAPER include drug abuse prevention, education and strengthening legal awareness, entrepreneurship development, vocational training and job creation, sports, arts and culture, leadership development, and support for young pioneers.
In addition, JAPER called for stronger political and democratic education, the development of technology and the creative economy, protection of young people from various destructive influences, the provision of facilities and spaces for creative activities, strengthening youth organizations, and greater youth participation in overseeing regional development."We, who are part of the Advocacy Network for a Youth Regulation (JAPER), will continue to advocate for this cause and strengthen consolidation with youth organizations and the people of Medan. Our goal is to push for the immediate enactment of a youth regulation in Medan so that youth participation and the role of young people in the city can be improved and made more effective," said Arif, as he is known, in an electronic message received on Monday, August 31, 2026.
Ariffani explained that JAPER would not limit its role to making demands of the city government and the Medan City Council. The group is also prepared to contribute to the preparation of the substance of the regulation that will later be discussed by the government and legislature."Whether we are asked to or not, we will prepare an academic draft and a draft youth regulation and submit them to the Mayor of Medan and the Medan City Council. This is a concrete form of public participation in advancing a youth policy that genuinely accommodates the interests of Medan's younger generation," emphasized the white-haired politician.
According to Ariffani, a youth regulation is not merely an administrative requirement for the regional government. Rather, the regulation must serve as a legal instrument ensuring that young people have a clearly defined space to participate in regional development.This space must include youth participation in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of various policies implemented by the regional government.
"We do not want young people to be treated merely as objects of events or to be present only at ceremonial occasions. Youth must be positioned as development actors, a moral force, a social control mechanism, and a driving force for change. That is why Medan needs a regulation that provides young people with space, protection, support, and security," said Arif, wearing his characteristic glasses.Meanwhile, JAPER Secretary-General Rafdinal said his organization would continue the initiative through cross-organizational consolidation.
JAPER will invite youth organizations, communities, students, social organizations, academics, and various civil society groups to build a joint movement supporting the introduction of a youth regulation in Medan."JAPER emphasizes that this initiative is open to all members of society who are concerned about the future of the younger generation," Rafdinal said.
Through this consolidation, JAPER hopes the drafting of the youth regulation will be included in the Medan City Government's regional regulation agenda. JAPER also called on the Medan City Government to immediately prepare an academic paper for the draft youth regulation and to fully involve young people and youth organizations throughout the process.Furthermore, JAPER called for the regulation to cover the rights of young people, the obligations of the regional government, youth organizations, promotion and empowerment, leadership, entrepreneurship, support for young pioneers, youth development facilities, partnerships, funding, youth data, and oversight.
JAPER also supports the introduction of a Regional Youth Action Plan for Medan City as an instrument for implementing the regulation. Through such a mechanism, the government would be able to regularly measure progress in youth development, while the public could also monitor its implementation.In conclusion, JAPER called on the Medan City Government to provide young people with genuine opportunities to participate in every stage of the development process—from planning and implementation to monitoring and evaluation. For JAPER, such participation is crucial to ensuring that the younger generation does not remain merely a recipient of government policies but also plays a role in determining the direction of Medan's development. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
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