Two young Gibraltarians, Tammy Randall and Mark Montegriffo have been nominated to represent Gibraltar at the 9th Commonwealth Youth Parliament which meets in Jersey later this month.

They were chosen from the group that attended the recent internship in Washington and the visits to the European Union institutions in Brussels.

This is the first time that Gibraltar will be represented at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament and this is in line with the policy of the Government to develop and enhance further our links with the organisation.

The Commonwealth Youth Parliament is an annual event which takes place in a different Commonwealth region each year. This meeting was originally scheduled to take place in the British Virgin Islands last year but was cancelled due to the hurricanes. There will be around sixty delegates from all over the Commonwealth who will experience different aspects of Parliamentary democracy in education sessions led by experienced parliamentary officials in the actual setting of Jersey’s legislature known as the States of Jersey. The format will follow a standard parliamentary agenda of Question Time, debates, motions and votes on legislation.

Commenting on the initiative, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said: “The Government is delighted that two young Gibraltarians have agreed to represent their country at the Commonwealth Youth Parliament in Jersey. Their experiences in Washington or Brussels will provide a valuable background for this kind of event. It will also be a good opportunity to learn more about parliamentary practice and procedures in the context of the Commonwealth family of nations to which we are proud to belong. Indeed, I mentioned our participation to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Baroness Scotland when we met earlier this week.”

The Commonwealth Youth Parliament opens on 25 February and ends on 1 March.