The Joint Council on Youth, the Council of Europe’s decision-making body of young people and member states, adopted Guidelines on young people’s participation on Wednesday, 25 October 2023.

These guidelines to the 46 Council of Europe member states show concrete ways to strengthen meaningful youth participation and improve youth organisations’ engagement in Council of Europe policies.

The guidelines are an important step to implement the call of the Heads of States and Governments to integrate a youth perspective into the Council of Europe's intergovernmental and other deliberations, contained in the Reykjavik Declaration and Principles for Democracy.

The guidelines are building on the Committee of Ministers' Recommendation on citizenship and participation of young people in public life (Rec(2006)14) and Congress Resolution on the revised European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life, (RES152(2003), both call for action to adapt to the changing dynamics affecting young people throughout Europe.

Topics addressed include the challenges of youth participation in institutional politics, the changing nature of young people's citizenship, the influence of the internet on youth involvement, and the shrinking of civic spaces, which is particularly harmful to young people and reduces their ability to revitalise democracy. Examples of good practices shall help member states and young people to find creative solutions to strengthen youth participation going forward towards the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe in 2024.