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Youth participation

Children and young people in Boden have the opportunity to influence and shape their future. Through meetings, surveys, and forums, their ideas become part of the municipality’s decisions.

Updated:

Please note that all forms, digital applications (e-services) and some linked websites are currently in Swedish. Contact Citizen Service if you need help in English.

Youth Forum

The Youth Forum brings together young people from across the municipality four times a year. It includes:

  • Youth Councils
  • Community Centre Councils
  • The Youth Council Board
  • Youth representatives from local service centres

Together with municipal staff, the forum plans agendas and serves as an advisory body to municipal boards and committees. The Youth Forum is a member of the Swedish National Youth Council (SVUNG).

Youth Council

The Youth Council gives all students in grade 8 and the second year of upper secondary school the chance to influence the municipality’s future. Around 500 students participate each year.

How it works

  • Class workshops: Ideas are gathered during the spring term.
  • Preparation day: Class representatives select which proposals to take forward.
  • Youth Council Day: The main event where young people meet politicians and staff for dialogue and discussion.

Youth Council Day includes dialogue cafés, panel discussions, and the chance to submit youth proposals. The day ends with a survey where participants evaluate the event.

Youth Council Board

The board consists of young people aged 13–25 who meet about once a month. They collect opinions from young people, meet politicians, and organize activities. Each meeting is preceded by a planning meeting to set the agenda. The board is part of the Youth Forum.

LUPP survey tracks youth policy

LUPP (Local Follow-up of Youth Policy) is a national survey conducted every three years, most recently in 2023 in Boden.

It targets students in grade 8 and the second year of upper secondary school with questions about leisure, school, health, safety, the future, influence, and work. The results are used to plan municipal services and as a basis for discussions among youth, guardians, staff, and politicians.

Children’s rights in practice

Boden Municipality ensures that children’s rights are a natural part of everyday life. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child forms the foundation for all work involving children and young people.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child became Swedish law in 2020. It ensures that all children have the same rights and must be treated with respect. Four key principles guide this work:

  • Equal rights and value: All children have the same rights and equal worth.
  • Best interests of the child: The child’s best interests must always come first.
  • Right to life and development: Every child has the right to life, survival, and development.
  • Right to be heard: All children have the right to express their views and have them considered.

Boden Municipality works to ensure that all decisions affecting children consider the best interests of the child. The goal is to increase knowledge about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, involve children in matters that affect them, and maintain a clear child rights perspective in all decisions.

To achieve this, the municipality focuses on:

  • Training for staff and decision-makers.
  • Procedures to always consider the child’s best interests in decision-making processes.
  • Collaboration with schools, associations, and the Youth Forum to listen to children’s voices.

Do you want to access a specific document? Contact Citizen Service, and we will help you retrieve and read the full document.

Contact

Citizen Service

E-mail: kommunen@boden.se

Phone: +46 921 620 00