Following on to the 10th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth held in Malta on 08-09 October 2025, the Joint Council on Youth met in Strasbourg on 18-19 November to set the Council of Europe on course for a new impetus on youth and the integration of youth perspectives across its work. At their 53rd session members of the youth sector’s co-managed decision-making body, composed of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) - brought together more than 100 representatives from governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as national and international youth stakeholders.
"Europe’s young people do more than raise their voices—they actively drive the creation of a more democratic, just, and inclusive Europe”, said Marja Ruotanen, Director General of Democracy and Human Dignity in her opening speech.
During the two-day meeting, welcomed the Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Mathieu MORI for an exchange on the Charter on Young People’s Participation in Local and Regional Life; and thanked their outgoing Chair Nina GRMUSA, member of the Advisory Council representing the European Federation of Intercultural Learning (EFIL) and the Vice-Chair Miriam TEUMA member of the CDEJ representing Malta. The Joint Council applauded the Maltese Presidency of Council of Europe for their outstanding contribution to promote youth at the Council of Europe.
Several key topics and initiatives were addressed in the follow-up to the 10th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, held under the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, including:
- The follow-up to the Ministerial Declaration and next steps for the youth sector, highlighting the new political momentum created by the Reykjavik Summit and the Ministerial Conference.
- A proposed vision for integrating the Youth Perspective across the Council of Europe works and deliberations, supported by Senior Adviser Elda Moreno, aimed at broadening the dissemination of good practices and strengthening communication and outreach on related organisational initiatives.
- The adoption of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life and its Explanatory Memorandum by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, acknowledging the valuable co-operation with the Congress.
- The follow-up to the 4th European Youth Work Convention, held in Malta from 27–29 May 2025, in conjunction with the new 2026–2028 Work Plan of the European Union - Council of Europe Youth Partnership.
The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s youth through longstanding engagement, including the bilateral co-operation programme under the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine, as well as a special call for grants of the European Youth Foundation.
The CMJ continues to steer preparations for the upcoming Human Rights Education Forum, to be held in December 2025 at the European Youth Centre Budapest. The Forum will also mark the 30th anniversary of the European Youth Centre in Budapest and the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Key stakeholders in attendance included the European Youth Forum, the Central European Initiative (CEI), European Youth Card Association (EYCA), European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA), among others.
This session marked the final meeting of the current mandate of the CCJ. The outgoing CCJ was warmly thanked for its dedication and unwavering commitment to advancing the youth perspective and contributing to policy development. The new Committee will take office in January 2026 for a two-year mandate. For more information, follow this link.
