3rd Benelux Youth Forum

The Hague 2023

The Benelux Youth Forum is a debating conference that brings together youngsters from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It is organised by the European Youth Parliament (EYP) together with the Benelux Parliament. During this event, participants will discuss topics that are currently relevant in the Benelux. This way, the Benelux Parliament gets valuable input from young people’s perspectives, as young people often come up with innovative ideas.

The Benelux Youth forum 2023 will host 49 youngsters from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, to simulate the Benelux Parliament, which also has 49 seats for representatives from the three countries. In this third edition of the Benelux Youth Parliament, participants will discuss topics around the theme “Digital Benelux”, including e-health, online voting and cycling policy. Participants will compose a resolution around one of these topics in groups of about 15 people. On Friday afternoon, we will discuss these resolutions in a plenary session with all 49 participants. After the event, the resolutions will be shared with the Benelux Parliament, so they can discuss the ideas of our young participants.

September 28 & 29

First Chamber The Hague

€ 20 for food & accommodation

67 participants!

Practical information

The Benelux Youth Forum 2023 will take place on the 28th and 29th of September 2023 in The Hague. The conference will start on Thursday around 10:30 and it will end around 17:00 on Friday. The programme will include elements such as teambuilding exercises, group discussions to write resolutions, an evening programme, and a plenary session.

The participation fee for the Benelux Youth Forum 2023 is €20 per participant. This includes all programme elements, accommodation for one night (Thursday-Friday) and breakfast and lunch during the conference (lunch on Thursday, breakfast and lunch on Friday). Participation fee does not include travel costs. If possible, we would like to accommodate participants coming from far with travel reimbursements, but we are still in the process of arranging this, so we can not promise this yet.

This event will host both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking participants. Therefore, all plenary parts of the event will take place in English. During the group discussions on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, participants will speak French and Dutch, as live translators will be present for these discussions.

Leading up to the event, all information will be available in both French and Dutch as much as possible.

Program

Officials that can come already on Wednesday 27th will meet at the Grote Markt at around 6.00 PM,for some teambuilding and drinks. For those arriving on Thursday, Official registration will be at 9.00AM, with Delegates arriving at 11.30 AM for their registration.

The conference will end between 4.30 PM and 5.00 PM on Friday the 29th. A food bag will beprovided to all participants, to make sure that everyone has something to eat on their way backhome.

The accommodation for the night of the 28th will be at the Pink Flamingo Hostel in The Hague -Boterstraat 1, 2511 BK Den Haag, Netherlands. Concerning those who will be hosting and who needhosting, we will presently get back to you on the arrangement of the night of the 27th.

Senate / Eerste Kamer

MAIN VENUE

Kazernestraat 52

The Hague

Planning your trip

When planning your trip, it is crucial to balance price and time considerations, especially when it comes to transportation. An“ideal trip” will look different depending on the access you have to different means of transportation.

When it comes to choosing between taking a train, a bus or a car,it is good to think about small costs that can apply. For cost-worthy and time-efficient travelling, be on the lookout for what suits your journey best.

Taking a train outside of peak hours and getting your ticket well in advance can save you money. Keeping in mind the added parkingcosts or the price of a metro ticket you may need to purchaseupon arrival, will minimise the amount of surprises you canencounter on your travel.

Google Maps is always a good website to start from, but you may want to have a look at transportation timetables on the official sites of the transportation providers, with indicated prices.

Here are some websites, specific to the Netherlands, that can help you plan your trip. Naturally, the Organising Team remains at your disposal for questions and additional help.

All Dutch public transport

Public transport in The Hague

Railway

Flixbus

Travelling by train

Depending on the itinerary of the train, both Den Haag CS (Centraal Station) and Den Haag HS (Hollands Spoor) are a 15-minute walk away from the hostel (and near where the Grote Markt, where officials will gather on Wednesday evening).

When arriving to the Senate, it is best to try to arrive to the Den Haag CS (Centraal Station), as it is the closest by foot (15 minutes), whereas most other nearby stations (Den Haag HS, Den Haag Laan van NOI) are 30-40 minutes away on foot, and will most probably require you to pay for a public transport ticket.

HTM is a public transport company in The Hague region thatoffers tram and bus circulation in the city. Once arrived, you maywant to purchase a ticket to get from a train or bus station to the Senate. A 2-hour travel card can be purchased for 4.50€, from the HTM ticket app, from a ticket machine, a service shop, or fromthe bus driver. The best routes and lines can be easily found on Google Maps.

Public transport can also be taken from the Central Station. For the accommodation, you can take the tram 2, 3, 4, or 6 from The Hague Central Station to Grote Markt (2 stops, approximately 5 minutes including the walk). Or the bus 22, 24, or 28 for the Senate (approximately 14 minutes, same time as by foot).

If you are travelling by train from outside the Netherlands, we recommend looking at the price difference between an InterCity train and a Thalys. For example, if you are coming from Brussels, the journey by Thalys will be 10 minutes quicker, but it will cost you twice as much.

Travelling by bus

A bus is a slightly slower, but more ffordable option than a national or international train. And they are accessible frommost larger cities within the Benelux. Prices can vary from 2.99€ (coming from Amsterdam) to 5.99€ (from Antwerp) and up –looking at the prices of Flixbusses, but there are many other bus companies out there!

It easiest to take a bus that arrives to the international bus stop atthe bus stop of Den Haag Centraal – most common bus station and easiest to access the accomodation from.

Travelling by car

Traveling to The Hague by car offers flexibility and convenience. Do consider traffic conditions, parking availability, and tolls, for a smooth journey. Keep in mind that The Hague is also a low-emission zone, in which heavily polluting vehicles are not allowed to circulate. This applies to old diesel cars, that emit a lot of CO2. If the emission standard of the car is four or higher, you are welcome to drive in the low-emission zone. For cars with an emission standard of three or lower, access is not permitted.

Travelling by bike

If you do not live far away, or if you prefer to take a very Netherlandic approach to travelling, cycling is always an option. The Hague has dedicated cycle paths and bicycle stands, that make it an attractive cycling city.

Travelling by airplane

The closest aeroport is the
Rotterdam The Hague Airport
(RTM), a little over 20 km away from the accommodation. You can get to The Hague by public transport, but keep in mind that youwould have to change quite a few times. Google Maps will propose different routes, with a combination of a bus, a tramand/or an underground metro. Estimated journey from the aeroport to the accommodation – 50-70 minutes. A 2-hour travelcard can be purchased for 4.50€, from the HTM ticket app, from a ticket machine, a service shop or from the bus driver.

Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS)
is located nearly 50 km away butcan be accessed easily via a train that passes every half-hour. The train journey lasts approximately 30 minutes, but if you get to Den Haag Laan van NOI or Den Haag HS, you will have to take atram to get to the Senate. The total trip from the aeroport takesabout 50 minutes.