On the occasion of his visit to Strasbourg to address the Parliamentary Assembly, HRM King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands visited the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg where he engaged in a round table discussion with young people from the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ), the non-governmental partner in the co-managed decision-making system, and youth delegates from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

During the visit, His Majesty the King and Franc Weerwind, the Minister for Legal Protection, engaged in a lively and open exchange with the young people on what motivates them to participate in decision-making processes and about the unique co-management system in the Council of Europe, but also to discover what obstacles they face to their participation. His Majesty was particularly interested in hearing about the situation of young refugees, young people in conflict areas and the mental health of young people. It was also discussed, what public authorities should be doing to encourage more young people to mobilise for the promotion of human rights and democracy, and the Council of Europe youth sector’s previous No Hate Speech campaign and on its current campaign Democracy here | Democracy now on revitalising democracy were presented.

His Majesty’s visit was an opportunity for him to discover the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg and its unique architecture which symbolises the open spirit of the Council of Europe’s youth policy, and provides a unique space for young people to enter and experience the youth sector’s activities.