Freedom for Ukraine is freedom for the whole of Europe. Young people's contributions to safeguarding democracy, the rule of law, and human rights need to be acknowledged in decision-making. It is essential to support the reintegration of young people affected by war into Ukrainian society, including through programmes for young military personnel and veterans, into Ukrainian society.
Creating a barrier-free and enabling environment that values young people in all their diversity is vital. Support for youth workers and the sustainability of youth work through existing mechanisms such as the Ukrainian Youth Foundation was identified as beneficial.
These were among the key messages of a round table on youth perspectives and the role of youth policy and youth work for the resilience and recovery of Ukraine. The event was organised in the framework of the closing programme of Lviv - European Youth Capital 2025 - also marking the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's membership in the Council of Europe.
This strategic dialogue brought together both governmental and non-governmental youth stakeholders, including the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine, All-Ukrainian Youth Centre, Ukrainian Youth Foundation, National Youth Councils, and youth civil society organisations.
This event also underlined the importance of international youth co-operation in maintaining solidarity and support for Ukraine across Europe, with the presence of representatives from the European Youth Forum and Joint Council on Youth to hear first-hand accounts from their Ukrainian peers and to begin to understand the everyday reality for young people in Ukraine.
The round table and the visit of the Council of Europe Youth Sector Delegation, which included representatives from the Joint Council on Youth, the European Youth Forum, and the Secretariat, were organised by the project Youth for Democracy in Ukraine, part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" 2023-2026. During the visit, the Council of Europe and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine signed a five-year Framework Programme for Cooperation in the field of youth policy (2026-2030).
