{"id":6380,"date":"2024-04-08T16:15:16","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T16:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/?post_type=storiesprojects&p=6380"},"modified":"2025-11-20T17:10:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:10:21","slug":"costa-rica-youth-political-participation","status":"publish","type":"storiesprojects","link":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/stories\/costa-rica-youth-political-participation\/","title":{"rendered":"Costa Rica – Youth Political Participation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Costa Rica stands as a testament to democratic stability, being one of the longest continuous presidential democracies in the Western Hemisphere. The country has upheld unrestricted and transparent elections, with its Supreme Electoral Tribunal serving as a global model for election organisation and management1<\/a><\/sup>. Political stability and a strong social contract have contributed to Costa Rica’s low poverty rates, making it one of the leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of poverty reduction and stable growth. The current government is criticised for threatening the rights of women and LGBTQI+ people, which can hinder progress in this field.
Costa Rica has a predominantly young population and the largest youth population in the nation\u2019s history. Four out of every ten individuals are young people2<\/a><\/sup>. Following the trend observed in most old democracies, it is evident that Costa Rican youth have become disengaged from traditional forms of political participation, such as voting or joining political parties. During the 2014 elections, youth between 18 and 35 years old, accounting for almost a third of the registered voters, had a lower average participation rate (64%) than the overall population (68%)3<\/a><\/sup>. However, they show increased involvement in alternative forms of political activism compared with older generations. In 2014 young people were twice as likely to participate in public town halls or citizen meetings as non-youths (15.1% compared to 7.4%). A similar proportion exists for organising activities during the campaign period (10.9% compared to 5.9%)4<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding youth-focused policies and initiatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

National Youth System:<\/em> To facilitate youth engagement, Costa Rica has established various youth structures and institutions. The Vice Ministry of Youth is the political entity of the youth system and leads institutional efforts in this field. It is responsible for the design of youth policy in coordination with the National Youth System, with the objective of developing an integral policy fostering the full incorporation of young people in national development5<\/a><\/sup>. It supports and works alongside its operational arm, the National Council on Public Policy for the Young Person (National Youth Council). The National Youth Council is responsible for the elaboration and execution of youth policy. Specifically, it coordinates the actions of all public and private institutions, fosters the participation of young people in policymaking processes, and encourages research in youth-related areas6<\/a><\/sup>. The Board of Directors comprises representatives from six ministries and three young representatives of the National Youth Advisory Network. The National Youth Advisory Network is the third component of the Costa Rican Youth System. It is composed of youth from public and private schools, registered community development associations, Cantonal Youth Committees, public and private universities, political parties, ethnic groups, non-governmental organisations, and other specialised civil society organisations. Its purpose is to facilitate effective youth participation in the formulation and implementation of policies that affect them7<\/a><\/sup>. Every stakeholder group has a specific number of seats in a collegial and representative body, the National Youth Advisory Network Assembly8<\/a><\/sup>. The Cantonal Youth Committees are the final element of the system. They are municipal participation mechanisms made up of young people from the canton who represent diverse groups, including youth organisations, schools, the municipality, and faith-based organisations. Its function is to design and execute local or national projects contributing to the implementation of the national youth policy.9<\/a><\/sup> The projects are financed from the National Youth Council budget and each Cantonal Youth Committee has a designated representative at the National Youth Advisory Network Assembly.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legal and Policy Framework: <\/em>The General Law of Youth defines young people as individuals aged 12 to 35 years old. Recognising the importance of youth participation in decision-making processes, the law states that young people have \u201cthe right to participate in, formulate, and implement policies that enable them to engage in decision-making processes at various levels and sectors of national life, especially in critical areas essential for their human development10<\/a><\/sup>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2013, the country has been updating its youth policy at 5-year intervals as an outcome of an extensive consultation process. Through 44 workshops and an online consultation, 2240 young people with diverse backgrounds were consulted for the design of the 2020\u20132024 Youth Policy. Ten workshops specifically focused on gathering inputs from indigenous youth. Due to the wide definition of youth, the policy categorises young people into three age-based categories: 12\u201317 years old, 18\u201325 years old, and 25\u201335 years old. It introduces a new strategy with four key objectives: enhancing awareness on the dimensions of cultural diversity and identity that will contribute to the strengthening of participatory democracy, expanding access to goods and services through programmes that promote active participation in social life and environmental action, increasing participation opportunities in the economy, and increasing access and participation of young people in decision-making processes11<\/a><\/sup>. Youth participation has become an overarching concept entwined with all key policy objectives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The achievement of all objectives of the 2020\u20132024 Youth Policy is measured by concrete indicators. The growing role of new technologies in shaping political discourse was acknowledged and consequently the policy proposes strengthening youth self-organisation to increase informed participation through diverse channels. It also expresses support for new forms of political engagement, such as cause-oriented groups and activities, for instance, those focused on climate change or human rights. It is worthwhile to note that the National Youth Policy does not identify any particular projects or initiatives. Instead, it sets a general course of action grounded in evidence and outlines the roles and duties of those engaged in the youth sector, particularly the four bodies forming the National Youth System.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Policy Implementation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Youth Mainstreaming:<\/em> The unique feature of the Costa Rican youth system is its high interconnectedness and the significant level of participation of diverse youth stakeholders. Costa Rica has been proactive in providing civic education and raising political awareness by organising simulations, forums, and workshops. Every year, the mandate of the Cantonal Youth Committees is renewed. The Committees have been the key government initiative focused on youth citizenship, aiming to develop political skills and facilitating management of community-led projects. In 2021, 81 youth projects were submitted by the Cantonal Youth Committees and approved by the National Youth Council. Considering that Costa Rica was divided into 83 cantons at that time, this suggests a high level of youth engagement in the work of the Committees. Costa Rica is actively fostering youth participation at the international level by co-hosting events focused on youth at the second Summit for Democracy and participating in the Youth Democracy Cohort, a platform to take meaningful action towards implementing Summit for Democracy commitments on youth political and civic engagement through resources, expertise, research, activities, and achievements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several multi-stakeholder projects, aiming to integrate youth priorities and perspectives in all their diversity, in line with the first objective of the Youth Policy 2020-2024. The Civic Centers for Peace are an inter-institutional strategy of local intervention for the prevention of violence and the promotion of social inclusion, implemented by the central government in partnership with municipalities and civil society organisations across the country. As Ms. Natalia Camacho Monge, from the National Youth Council, stressed, special facilities were introduced in the seven Civic Centers for Peace to encourage the participation of youth with disabilities12<\/a><\/sup>. To encourage youth involvement, youth fora are organised as part of Center\u2019s activities. Costa Rica swiftly responds to the changing needs of the youth. In the post-pandemic context, they developed programmes focused on mental health in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Since 2020, in partnership with other ministries, NGOs, and UN agencies, they have also led a project focused on occupational health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Youth Advisory Network Assembly: <\/em>The National Youth Advisory Network Assembly meetings are held at least three times per year. While its main objective is to discuss and approve youth policy13<\/a><\/sup>, the Assembly is active in thematic areas that are not solely youth-related. These include, but are not limited to, commissions for education, human rights, public policy, projects, and the economy. Ms. Kristel Ward Hudson, the Viceminister of Youth, explained that the young people forming the Assembly \u201creviewed which laws should be modified in favour of the youth and which policies should be more linked to youth14<\/a><\/sup>\u201d. The structure and legal framework facilitate youth engagement in the work of the government.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persisting adult-centrism: <\/em>According to Ms. Camacho Monge, one of the obstacles to meaningful youth participation in Costa Rica is the underestimation of youth potentia15<\/a><\/sup>l. From her perspective, this is more of a cultural issue in Costa Rica resulting in reluctance to shift the power to young people. This fear is often accompanied by an underestimation of the transformative power youth can have on a social and cultural level, which decreases opportunities for meaningful participation. Another challenge lies in aligning the institutional pace and adult-centric system with youth demands and expectations. While young people call for fast and concrete actions, the institutional response might take months or years. This can further alienate youth from the political processes in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Successes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Achieving meaningful outcomes of youth initiatives: <\/em>In terms of inclusivity and meaningful participation, the National Youth Advisory Network Assembly can be viewed as one of the most successful youth initiatives in Costa Rica. Comprising representatives from diverse youth groups, this assembly plays a pivotal role in influencing decision-making processes and yielding concrete outcomes and changes. The Assembly successfully influenced the Ministry of Labour to adjust its programmes to be more inclusive of various youth groups16<\/a><\/sup>. It has the power to elect delegates to the National Youth Council and approve the three-year Youth Policy, which the Council must follow17<\/a><\/sup>. However, it should be noted that addressing complex issues requires an adequate level of preparation. To further increase the effectiveness and meaningfulness of youth participation within the Assembly, capacity building sessions should be prioritised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introducing inclusive approaches:<\/em> Costa Rica has taken steps to encourage the participation of marginalised and underrepresented groups, such as indigenous youth, in recent years. The structure of the National Youth Advisory Network Assembly exemplifies the National Youth System\u2019s commitment to inclusivity by introducing specific quotas for various youth groups, with five out of 128 seats reserved for ethnic minorities. Another example is the invitation of indigenous young people to represent Costa Rica at the Summit for Democracy. Although the participation of marginalised communities has been rather symbolic so far, it is viewed as the first step towards a more inclusive society. Marina Valdez, a youth activist, argues that \u201cthere are still gaps at the institutional and state level\u201d. She adds that participation is particularly challenging for marginalised groups:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cif we see it from an intersectional approach, it will also go through the issue of gender, the issue of class, racism, ableism, and it is very difficult to be integrated in (…) all the public processes that the Costa Rican system has.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, youth groups and civil society stakeholders are demanding more concrete actions to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building strong multi-stakeholder partnerships: <\/em>Another good practice is close collaboration between government structures, youth groups, the UN system, and civil society18<\/a><\/sup>. Interestingly, the partnership approach is not specifically mentioned as a means of policy implementation in official documents. However, the high level of multi-stakeholder cooperation was evident during the interviews. Youth sector actors have been joining their efforts to facilitate the participation of a greater number of diverse young people. Stakeholders tend to cooperate on logistics in the context of organising youth events or workshops in remote areas, where access is difficult19<\/a><\/sup>. This participative approach facilitates the successful implementation of the youth policy by ensuring that all actors work towards a shared goal, with the National Youth System taking the lead for most of the youth-related programmes and activities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving a conducive environment for youth leadership: <\/em>The overall environment in Costa Rica is conducive to youth leadership and participation. For example, participation in volunteer organisations by young people aged between 18 and 35 years in Costa Rica increased in 2013 and 2018 compared with 200720<\/a><\/sup>. According to data from three national youth surveys, a participation rate of 44.3% was observed in 2007, 52.5% in 2013, and 55.9% in 2018 in one of the following types of organisations: religious, sports\/recreational, ecological, student-related, community-based, municipal, artistic\/cultural, labour unions, political parties (membership), or social welfare organisations. There is clear evidence of a significant growth in the participation of young women in these organisations, from 18.2% in 2007 to 25.1% in 2013, and a slight increase to 25.7% in 201821<\/a><\/sup>. This conducive environment stems from mainstreaming youth priorities across diverse institutions, levels, and sectors. Government-driven mechanisms such as Cantonal Youth Committees empower the younger generation to voice their opinions. The education system, including multiple training opportunities, simulations, and consultations, builds leadership skills and develops civic engagement. Strong support for youth-led initiatives and cooperation with NGOs further boosts their active involvement in shaping the country’s youth space. This integrated approach fosters vibrant youth leadership and cultivates a dynamic and inclusive society. As such, it is not surprising that Costa Rica also has a relatively high youth proportion in the Legislative Assembly, with one-third of all deputies being below 40 years old22<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This case country is taken from a comprehensive examination of successful youth-led policy initiatives drawing from the insights of a scoping study \u201cA comparative analysis on National Youth Policies<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Read<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This study is supported by a European Union-funded project called WYDE Civic Engagement led by EPD that aims to improve the inclusion of Youth in all levels of democratic participation at the national, regional and global scales.\u00a0 The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and should not be considered as representative of the European Commission\u2019s official position<\/p>\n\n\n

  1. Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2022 Country Report \u2014 Costa Rica<\/em> (G\u00fctersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2022).
    \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  2. The Costa Rica Government, Pol\u00edtica P\u00fablica de la Persona Joven 2020-2024<\/em> (San Jose: Viceministerio de Juventud, 2020). \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  3. Ilka Treminio S\u00e1nchez and Adri\u00e1n Pignataro L\u00f3pez, \u00ab\u00a0J\u00f3venes y democracia: Comportamiento electoral y actitudes pol\u00edticas en Costa Rica,\u00a0\u00bb Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones<\/em> 20 (2015). \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  4. \u00a0Ibid. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  5. Costa Rica, National Assembly. Creaci\u00f3n del Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes<\/em>, Law 4788, adopted July 5, 1971. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  6. Costa Rica, National Assembly. Ley General de la Persona Jove<\/em>n, Law 8261, adopted May 20, 2002, https:\/\/pridena.ucr.ac.cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Ley-8261-Ley-General-de-la-Persona-Joven.pdf<\/a>.
    \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  7. Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  8. The division of 126 seats is as follows: one representative from each Cantonal Youth Committee; one representative from each Public University; three representatives from private universities; two representatives from para-university institutions; twenty representatives from political parties represented in the Legislative Assembly; five representatives from ethnic groups; five representatives from non-governmental organisations; two representatives from development associations; two representatives from associations or foundations composed of persons with disabilities.
    \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  9. Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  10. Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  11. The Costa Rica Government, Pol\u00edtica P\u00fablica de la Persona Joven 2020-2024<\/em> (San Jose: Viceministerio de Juventud, 2020). \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  12. Interview with the Viceministry of Youth \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  13. Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  14. Interview with the Viceministry of Youth \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  15. \u00a0Ibid. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  16. \u00a0Ibid. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  17. \u00a0Ibid. \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  18. Interview with Marina Valdez, a youth activist \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  19. Interview with Pablo Cortez, Director for Youth affairs in an INGO \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  20. Jorge E. Segura Arias, Tendencias de participaci\u00f3n de las personas j\u00f3venes en los gobiernos municipales, Costa Rica 2010-2016<\/em> (Revista del Consejo de la Persona Joven, 2019). \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  21. \u00a0Ibid \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li>
  22. InterParliamentary Union, Youth participation in national parliaments years of empowering youth in parliament 10<\/em> (IPU, 2021). \u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Costa Rica stands as a testament to democratic stability, being one of the longest continuous presidential democracies in the Western Hemisphere. The country has upheld unrestricted and transparent elections, with its Supreme Electoral Tribunal serving as a global model for election organisation and management1. Political stability and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6381,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2022 Country Report \u2014 Costa Rica<\/em> (G\u00fctersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2022).
    \",\"id\":\"374c6be5-5060-4e3d-8a63-cfb29a47385a\"},{\"content\":\"The Costa Rica Government, Pol\u00edtica P\u00fablica de la Persona Joven 2020-2024<\/em> (San Jose: Viceministerio de Juventud, 2020).\",\"id\":\"f0785164-3345-4777-beac-a8ddf75f6ab6\"},{\"content\":\"Ilka Treminio S\u00e1nchez and Adri\u00e1n Pignataro L\u00f3pez, \\\"J\u00f3venes y democracia: Comportamiento electoral y actitudes pol\u00edticas en Costa Rica,\\\" Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones<\/em> 20 (2015).\",\"id\":\"321ced0d-22f6-4671-8c2d-4dc607460668\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Ibid.\",\"id\":\"6a1da5d7-314a-43b2-b296-afe84822d807\"},{\"content\":\"Costa Rica, National Assembly. Creaci\u00f3n del Ministerio de Cultura, Juventud y Deportes<\/em>, Law 4788, adopted July 5, 1971.\",\"id\":\"133b46b9-b585-4cf5-8340-d6cf13d1151a\"},{\"content\":\"Costa Rica, National Assembly. Ley General de la Persona Jove<\/em>n, Law 8261, adopted May 20, 2002,     https:\/\/pridena.ucr.ac.cr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Ley-8261-Ley-General-de-la-Persona-Joven.pdf<\/a>.
    \",\"id\":\"2ea1ee69-feea-4833-9691-b892c998a8fd\"},{\"content\":\"Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>.\",\"id\":\"6e86bd69-68f7-4797-be5e-0e7ebb48b5ac\"},{\"content\":\"The division of 126 seats is as follows: one representative from each Cantonal Youth Committee; one representative from each Public University; three representatives from private universities; two representatives from para-university institutions; twenty representatives from political parties represented in the Legislative Assembly; five representatives from ethnic groups; five representatives from non-governmental organisations; two representatives from development associations; two representatives from associations or foundations composed of persons with disabilities.
    \",\"id\":\"82b250a0-61f0-4cdb-9edf-eba74b05924c\"},{\"content\":\"Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>.\",\"id\":\"efc14130-a6ab-49ff-93b3-c95b7128bb96\"},{\"content\":\"Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>.\",\"id\":\"718e4f0d-92e5-47e8-b229-b1ab4d20919f\"},{\"content\":\"The Costa Rica Government, Pol\u00edtica P\u00fablica de la Persona Joven 2020-2024<\/em> (San Jose: Viceministerio de Juventud, 2020).\",\"id\":\"c29ff60c-85ac-4816-a7e3-3c15655a74a3\"},{\"content\":\"Interview with the Viceministry of Youth\",\"id\":\"94d4eb91-3602-4654-a3fb-d64a3883fd87\"},{\"content\":\"Ley General de la Persona Joven<\/em>.\",\"id\":\"6ea29dc4-73ea-457d-b7b4-1820f70acc91\"},{\"content\":\"Interview with the Viceministry of Youth\",\"id\":\"ce6cb017-870c-406a-b326-17871900547e\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Ibid.\",\"id\":\"326f7e00-a491-4f36-8cb4-faa9db19cd17\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Ibid.\",\"id\":\"0d4621d4-b85a-40d3-9cb8-633dc20614c7\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Ibid.\",\"id\":\"f11fe2cf-c45f-4fc2-80e8-e41863865934\"},{\"content\":\"Interview with Marina Valdez, a youth activist\",\"id\":\"8a66da1b-e190-4632-a85c-a84cd0edba08\"},{\"content\":\"Interview with Pablo Cortez, Director for Youth affairs in an INGO\",\"id\":\"5146e214-bc32-4617-a66e-bf1fe784377b\"},{\"content\":\"Jorge E. Segura Arias, Tendencias de participaci\u00f3n de las personas j\u00f3venes en los gobiernos municipales, Costa Rica 2010-2016<\/em> (Revista del Consejo de la Persona Joven, 2019).\",\"id\":\"aea083aa-9ab4-42f4-8bd4-df6e9773325f\"},{\"content\":\"\u00a0Ibid\",\"id\":\"4d4da058-163b-460b-a579-811ea1fd5478\"},{\"content\":\"InterParliamentary Union, Youth participation in national parliaments years of empowering youth in parliament 10<\/em> (IPU, 2021).\",\"id\":\"be7a01af-2e99-478e-9964-9c9f172cc29a\"}]"},"story-category":[94],"project-category":[],"project-region":[313],"story-tag":[110],"class_list":["post-6380","storiesprojects","type-storiesprojects","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","story-category-research-content","project-region-latin-america-and-the-caribbean","story-tag-research-on-youth-political-participation"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/storiesprojects\/6380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/storiesprojects"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/storiesprojects"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/storiesprojects\/6380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6702,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/storiesprojects\/6380\/revisions\/6702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"story-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story-category?post=6380"},{"taxonomy":"project-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-category?post=6380"},{"taxonomy":"project-region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-region?post=6380"},{"taxonomy":"story-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story-tag?post=6380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}