Co-operation between the Council of Europe and Ukraine in the field of youth policy has been going on for several years through a bi-lateral programme of co-operation. The main activities have included an international review of Ukraine’s youth policy, the publication of the Compass manual in Ukrainian language and several activities on youth participation and youth policy.
The Council of Europe Action Plan on Ukraine 2018-2022 is a strategic programming instrument which aims, through co-operation, to accompany the country in its efforts to bring legislation, institutions and practice further into line with European standards in the areas of human rights, the rule of law and democracy and, through this, to support the country in meeting its obligations as a Council of Europe member state. Youth has been present in the Action Plans of the Council of Europe on Ukraine, with results in the definition of youth policy in Ukraine, the quality and provision of youth work and a strong emphasis on youth participation and human rights education.
The project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine” is a part of this Action Plan which is built on previous experience and fruitful bilateral co-operation between the Council of Europe and the Ministry in charge of youth policy in Ukraine. The project will strengthen youth participation and civic engagement of young people in both rural and urban settings by enabling youth policy stakeholders to improve the quality of youth policy and youth work based on the Council of Europe standards.
The project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine” is implemented between March 2020 and December 2021 and based on standards of the Council of Europe in the youth field, notably the Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers on:
- Access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights, CM/Rec(2015)3;
- Young People’s Access to rights, CM/Rec(2016)7;
- Youth Work, CM/Rec(2017)4;
- The participation of young people in local and regional life, Rec(2004)13
The project is organised in three components which are implemented in parallel and have cross-cutting activities:
- Young People, Full Citizens, supporting rights-based youth policy for youth participation and civic engagement at local level;
- Revitalizing youth centres and youth work;
- Dialogue and social cohesion youth programmes and empowering minority groups for participation in local and regional life.
The focus of intervention is on local and regional contexts. However, its results should impact the national youth policy agenda by strengthening the role of local and regional authorities, reviewing youth work approaches of youth centres, updating youth work quality and training competent youth policy agents and youth workers.
The project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine” is implemented by the Council of Europe Youth Department and the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine in the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine 2018-2022. Strategic guidance of the project implementation is done by a Steering Committee composed of the representatives of the Council of Europe and of the Ministry of Youth and Sport of Ukraine. The Steering Committee ensures also the correlation between the programme and youth policy development in Ukraine and in the Council of Europe.
More information about this cooperation is at the Ukraine page of the Council of Europe youth portal.
