Оn 28 March 2023 representatives of the Council of Europe project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III” and the Ukrainian Youth Councils Association met in an online format to discuss and plan co-operation in 2023-2024 within the component “Participatory Youth Policy”.

The Project «Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III» is carried out in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2023-2026. The Project was built on the results and experience of the projects “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine” in 2020-2022 and will extend the systematic influence by strengthening participatory youth policies and reinforce youth work in the war and in a post war context taking into account the specific needs of young people.

The Project will be implemented within the following components with the respective activities:

• youth policy based on participatory approaches;
• recognition of youth work in wartime;
• support of youth centers and youth organisations as civic activity and democratic participation.

The Project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III” stresses the importance of the Council of Europe youth sector strategy 2030 and reflects the National strategy of the State Youth Policy 2030, the State Target Social Programme “Youth of Ukraine” 2021-2025.

The Project will engage youth policy stakeholders and youth work providers in Ukraine in the implementation and dissemination of Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to member states: on Access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights (CM (2015) 3), on Access to rights for young people (CM(2016)7) and on youth work (CM(2017)4).

Within the framework of the component “Participatory Youth Policy” it is expected to achieve that young people are aware of the standards of the Council of Europe regarding the implementation of participatory youth policy, youth participation and civic participation in the decision-making process.

In order to achieve results, the Project together with partners – the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Association of Youth Councils – preliminarily planned to hold in 2023-2024:

• Research of the needs and the state of activity of local and regional youth councils, in particular taking into account the needs and realities of young people in the war and post-war period (to be part of the long-term programme on participatory youth policy for civil servants implemented in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service);
• Training on the Council of Europe standards on implementing participatory   youth policy, youth participation and civic   participation in decision- making process; 
• Training on social cohesion and inclusion, civic participation and democratic citizenship, non-discrimination and equality; 
• Creation of a youth-friendly educational resource on with standards, tools and resources on strengthening youth participation at local, regional and national level, social cohesion and inclusion, democratic citizenship, non-discrimination and equality.  

 Read more about the project and the Council of Europe resources in the field of youth policy and youth work – https://www.coe.int/en/web/kyiv/youth-for-democracy-in-ukraine