Malta, 10 October 2025 — Ministers, youth representatives and institutional partners met yesterday in Malta for the 10th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, reaffirming that Europe’s democratic renewal depends on genuine intergenerational partnership.

Held under the theme “Young people for democracy: youth perspectives in action”, the conference concluded with the adoption of two milestone documents: the Final Declaration and the Resolution on the Council of Europe Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective

 “Youth must be present in everything we do”

Opening the conference, Secretary General Alain Berset called for a bridge between generations and a renewed commitment to youth participation.

“Youth must be present in everything we do,” he said. “We need to build a bridge across the gap between generations that threatens to pull us apart – this is why we must genuinely listen to young people, setting aside our prejudices – and even some of our own experiences. Young people are disillusioned with democracy. This is a wake-up call.”

He reminded participants that the New Democratic Pact for Europe seeks “to strengthen the foundations of democracy, restore trust, and make it meaningful for the next generation.”

 Malta’s message: participation is power

Hosting the event, Clifton Grima, Malta’s Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation, reaffirmed his country’s long-standing engagement with the Council of Europe youth sector.

“Our meeting here this week will not only be stimulating and productive but will also give renewed energy and momentum to our common commitment to supporting young people across Europe and empowering them to shape their own future and that of our continent,” he said. “Malta has not only played a significant role in promoting and advancing the Council of Europe’s youth policies, such as its Recommendation on youth work, but has also been proactive in embedding the values and aspirations of the Council of Europe in our national youth policies.”
 

 “Co-management is not just a method — it is a value”

Nina Grmuša, Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth and Vice-Chair of the Conference, reminded participants that youth participation must be built into every democratic process.

“Having a young person in my role is not symbolic. It is political — it means practicing my rights to be here,” she said. “The frameworks, standards and tools of the Council of Europe are spaces where democracy is a verb — where we are all different and all equal.”

She urged governments to translate values into daily practice:

“To think with youth. To learn with and from youth. To participate with youth. To act with and for youth. That is the Youth Perspective — not an investment, but an imperative.”

Grmuša described the Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective as “our shared instrument to make sure this imperative becomes reality in every member State.”

 “We need this Pact. This Pact needs youth”

Yevheniia Fedotova, member of the Advisory Council on Youth, brought the urgency of democratic renewal into sharp focus.

“We cannot meet today’s challenges with yesterday’s playbook,” she said. “Democracy is not under pressure anymore — it is under full attack.”

Drawing on the courage of young Ukrainians, she added:

“When Ukrainian youth volunteer, study under air raid sirens, and plan reconstruction in bomb shelters, they are defending Europe’s democratic security. We need this Pact. This Pact needs youth.”

Fedotova called on ministers to give the new documents life beyond the conference:

“The energy we felt in Malta must become concrete — in budgets, in institutional roles, and in decisions taken with, not for, young people.”

 “The Reference Framework is our map — now we must use it”

Jessy Rún Jónsdóttir, member of the Advisory Council on Youth, and Séverine Origny-Fleishman, member of the European Steering Committee on Youth, presented the outcomes of the Youth Event and the joint work that led to the Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective.

As members of the Joint Council on Youth, they underlined that the Framework is the product of co-management — the Council of Europe’s unique system where youth and government representatives make policy together.

“How can we have confidence in tomorrow if we cannot contribute to it today?” Jónsdóttir asked. “The Reference Framework is our map — now we must use it. It shows how to move from consultation to co-creation, from listening to implementing.”

Origny-Fleishman added:

“This Framework is what co-management looks like in practice — it is the result of us thinking with, learning from, participating with, and acting with young people. The greatest risk is turning it into something tokenistic; we can avoid that by keeping the partnership alive.”

 Local youth participation also takes centre stage

In his opening remarks to the event, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Marc Cools, said “Youth participation takes place at local level, because this is where young people interact, learn, and contribute most directly to the life of their community.”

Matías Rubio, member of the Advisory Council on Youth, presented the main findings of the revision process of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, alongside Aida Karimli of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.

“We are happy because we have revised this text — realities have changed a lot since its first adoption in 1992,” Rubio said. “In our villages we update our cultural heritage by mixing traditional folklore with a fun modern techno base. I don’t know if the new Charter has techno, but it will be our guide.”

He emphasised its concrete impact:

“Democracy begins locally — and it fails there if youth are absent. We need to translate the Charter into all languages, support rural youth initiatives, and recognise that young people are experts in improving their territories.”

The revised Charter updates the 2003 version, embracing digital and inclusive participation models for Europe’s towns, cities and rural communities alike. It is set to be adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe during its upcoming October session.
 

 A shared commitment to democratic renewal

The conference also included opening remarks from the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Theodoros Rousopoulos who said, “May the orientations you define here in Malta become a compass for governments and young citizens alike — a living promise that democracy will continue to grow through education, inclusion, and participation.”

President of the European Youth Forum Rares Voicu and Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe, also addressed the conference, emphasising the role youth work can play in reinforcing the commitment to European integration and democracy.

By adopting the Final Declaration and the Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective, ministers and young delegates together charted a path for embedding youth perspectives across the work of the Council of Europe and its member States.

Their message from Malta was clear: democracy grows stronger when every generation has both the voice and the responsibility to shape it.