The Youth Department welcomed a delegation from Kristiansand, led by Mathias Bernander, Mayor of the Municipality of Kristiansand, along with the Chair of the Board and members of the team responsible for Democracy Week and the Europe Conference.

Building upon the successful co-operation established during Kristiansand European Youth Forum in 2025, the discussion focused on integrating youth perspectives into this year's Kristiansand Democracy Week and European Conference, an annual event that serves as a key platform for fostering dialogue on the future of democracy, human rights, and security in Europe.

This has become even more relevant in view of last year's Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, in Malta, and the New Democratic Pact for Europe, acknowledging relevance of youth perspectives in creating Europe’s democratic future. Additionally, Norway is further solidifying its role as a leader in youth participation, with Kristiansand designated as Norway's Youth Capital for 2026 and Tromsø as the European Youth Capital for 2026.

The Council of Europe Youth Sector's expertise and recent experiences with the 10th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, the youth event that preceded the Conference, as well as the consultations concerning the revision of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life were identified as relevant for future planning and collaboration with the Kristiansand municipality team.

The Youth Department and the Kristiansand delegation agreed to continue the conversation as preparations for this year's events, taking place from 2 to 8 May, move forward.