This year, on the occasion of the University on Youth and Development, more than 150 participants from 58 countries in Europe, the Southern Mediterranean, and Sub-Saharan Africa are gathered for a week in Mollina (Spain) to explore the theme #ForTheCulture of Human Rights and the Rule of Law, based on the Council of Europe’s and other international standards and conventions.
The opening ceremony of the twenty-third University on Youth and Development took place this morning. It marks a special moment as the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and the five partner organisations selected to contribute to this edition — The International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), DYPALL network, Youth for Exchange and Understanding (YEU), the European Youth Forum, and the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) — presented their workshops, trainings, and meetings scheduled for the week.
On this occasion, Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, Chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and Permanent Representative of Malta to the Council of Europe, Pilar Morales, Executive director of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and Regional Coordinator of the Council of Europe Neighbourhood Policy with the Southern Mediterranean, Margarita Guerrero Calderón, Director General of INJUVE, Institute of Youth in Spain, Keagetswe Alex Kgotlaetsile, Education Lead within African Union Women Gender and Youth Directorate, and Roberta Bojang, Member of the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth engaged with the participants, supporting their efforts to improve Human Rights and the Rule of Law in their communities and regions.
Through the week, a special attention is brought to Council of Europe's and other international conventions, as they play a pivotal role in promoting the Rule of Law at the national level and among young people. They set standards, drive legal reforms and strengthen judicial systems. Countries that ratify these conventions commit to adhering to these standards. Furthermore, many international conventions include mechanisms for monitoring and reporting, ensuring that countries are held accountable for their commitments. This fosters transparency and adherence to the Rule of Law. International conventions can also inspire and support youth-led advocacy and activism. Young people are often at the forefront of movements for social justice and legal reform, driven by the principles enshrined in these conventions. Movements for climate justice, gender equality, and human rights frequently draw on the frameworks provided by international conventions to advance their causes.
The UYD is the most long-standing Summer University. Since 2000 the UYD represents an international hub for meetings, youth advocacy and exchange of good practices. It gathers, for one week, hundreds of young people, youth workers, decision makers, experts from the field and institutional representatives, providing them all with a space to meet, debate, build their capacities and cooperate on youth policy issues. The UYD is designed as a space for experiencing intercultural dialogue while debating the most pressing issues of the global youth movement. It is distinguished by its exceptional geographical scope, bringing together participants from Europe, the Southern Mediterranean, and sub-Saharan Africa.
The University on Youth and Development is co-financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe through iLEGEND III, Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue, which seek that EU, candidate and potential candidate countries’ citizens, in particular youth, are empowered and actively engaged in promoting sustainable development, and addressing global challenges and inequalities at local and global level.
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