On the occasion of her visit to Strasbourg to address the Parliamentary Assembly, Nataša Pirc Musar President of the Republic of Slovenia, visited the European Youth Centre Strasbourg with a primary objective of engaging with the youth sector and discussing the vital role that young people play in combating the climate crisis.
After visiting the Centre's premises, the President and Eva Tomič, Climate Policy and Human Rights Adviser to the President of the Republic of Slovenia, participated in a dynamic discussion focused on the involvement of young people in climate action.
Matjaž Gruden, Director of Democratic Participation, initiated the discussion by presenting the significance of youth participation in the Reykjavik Summit and its impact on Council of Europe's work on the environment. During the discussion, Clément Dolisi from Solidarity Water presented the ##WaterGeneration youth strategy. Eoghan Kelly from the Biodiversity division emphasized the significance of the Bern Convention, while Lana Čop from the youth policy division outlined the active involvement of young people in the collaborative drafting process of the CM recommendation on youth and climate action in the framework of the co-management system of the youth sector.
The President underlined the vital role that young people play in climate action and emphasized the responsibility of decision-makers to support young people and provide them with opportunities to meaningfully participate in climate discussions and decision-making processes. The President also highlighted the interconnection of climate justice and democracy, as the pursuit of climate justice relies on democratic values.
