A thematic discussion on Covid‑19, impact and lessons learnt in the fields of education, culture, heritage, environment and youth took place on 1 July 2021 between the Committee of Ministers’ Rapporteur Group on Education, Culture, Sport, Youth and Environment (GR-C) and the chairpersons of several DGII steering committees. The Council of Europe youth sector was represented by Miriam Teuma (Malta), the current chair of the CDEJ, and Andrea Ugrinovska, the current chair of the CCJ/CMJ, in the framework of the co-management structure of the Council of Europe youth sector.
Miriam Teuma outlined various measures undertaken by the governments of the Council of Europe member states to counterbalance the difficult situation in which young people found themselves. She also stressed that the Council of Europe’s youth sector worked hard to ensure the effective implementation of its work and programmes in light of unprecedented circumstances, in order to pursue its mission for the benefit of young people in Europe.
Andrea Ugrinoska stressed the disproportionate impact that the pandemic has had on young people and the efforts undertaken by youth organisations to support them, despite financial shortcomings. She reported about ongoing work in the youth sector for setting up a new campaign which could contribute to making the Council of Europe the initiator for the first steps towards revitalising pluralistic democracies.
