Youth from all over New Zealand have been attending the annual Aotearoa Youth Declaration conference in Auckland this week, and on the agenda was to create the 'Youth-Declaration' - a document full of recommendations to be considered by Parliament.
Youth have the power to not only voice their opinions but have them written down in a "Youth-Declaration."
17-year-old Tikipunga High School student Maihi Bennett says "It's a great opportunity for us to listen and come up with strategies that will broaden the mind."
The UN Youth's national president Jason Armishaw says the conference covers a range of subjects.
"From health to education to the Government structure of New Zealand and even to the social development and ethics and equity of New Zealand culture, the main themes have been around youth governance and youth participation in civic societies so civic education in schools and those sorts of things," says Armishaw.
For the past four days nearly 200 secondary school students and 40 tertiary students have been coming up with policy and value statements that they hope will influence Government decisions concerning youth.
Of the 100 youth declaration policies, one of the main policies is around civic education in schools and how governance is being taught.
Armishaw says there needs to be more education about the whole governance system.
"There is a really big hole there that young people feel really needs to be filled so they can be informed on how policy is made in New Zealand," says Armishaw.
A final copy of this year's "Youth-Declaration" will be sent to Parliament at the beginning of May.