On 12 August the world celebrates the “International Youth Day”. The Ukrainian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regards this as an important occasion to highlight the specific concerns, ambitions and achievements of millions of children and adolescents living on our continent.

Recent political events in various parts of the world have shown us once again the strong commitment and creativity that young people develop when they engage themselves for the common good. At the same time, in other countries, we have been witnessing the disastrous effects which a general lack of perspectives may have on the young generation.

All of these events underline the importance of the Council of Europe youth agenda and its priorities: the promotion of social integration, intercultural dialogue and human rights. Protecting children is also an important task of the international community. This is why Ukraine has decided to make it one of the priorities of its Chairmanship.