Foto: DBT/photothek

The Y-SPACE Conference 2024, at its third edition, will take place in the German Bundestag (Berlin, Germany) between 13-15 November 2024. The conference, entitled, "Celebrating 75 Years of the Council of Europe - Challenges and Opportunities in Shaping Europe's Future" is organised by the German Bundestag, the German PACE Delegation, the German Federal Youth Council and the Youth Department. 

The conference will bring together 50 young participants from Council of Europe member states, most of them representatives of national youth councils, as well as representatives of civil society in Germany, as well as representatives of the Advisory Council on Youth and of the Council of Europe.

The programme of the conference features welcome addresses by Ms Aydan Özoğuz, MdB, vice-president of the German Bundestag, Mr Frank Schwabe, MdB, Chairperson of the German Delegation in PACE, as well as a reception hosted by the President of the German Bundestag, Ms Bärbel Bas, MdB. 

Celebrating 75 years of the Council of Europe and following-up on the adoption of the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy in 2023 by the Summit of Heads of State and Government, the conference aims to create recommendations on how the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly and national parliaments in member states, as well as youth civil society can address democratic backsliding, and advance on inclusive governance and the development of youthful institutions. These recommendations will be presented and discussed in the framework of a panel discussion with: 

  • Ms Dr. Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis, Secretary General of PACE
  • Mr Sören Schumacher, Chairperson of the German Delegation in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Council of Europe,
  • Ms Marharyta Vorykhava,  Advisory Council on Youth of Council of Europe. 

On 15 November 2024, participants will have the chance to discuss in the framework of two panels on the ways to cooperate to revitalise democracy, in view of the upcoming report of the PACE on the role of young people in revitalising democracy, with: 

  • Ms Sona Ghazaryan, Rapporteur on the role of young people in revitalising democracy in the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of PACE
  • Mr Rareș Voicu, President of the European Youth Forum. 

and on the follow-up to the PACE Resolution on strengthening a youth perspective with: 

  • Ms Yevheniia Kravchuk, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Youth and the Society of the Future of PACE, 
  • Ms Naomi Cachia, Chairperson of the Maltese delegation to PACE,
  • Ms Anja Jokić, Advisory Council on Youth.