The Bureaux of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and of the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) met online on 18 and 19 January 2021 to discuss the ongoing work of the Council of Europe youth sector in 2021 and beyond.

During a stimulating debate with the Director of Democratic Participation, the Bureaux members discussed a future flagship youth campaign to be centred around the state of democracy today, a subject made all the more urgent following the events on Capitol Hill on 6 January. The Bureaux examined the conditions that need to be met in order that the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) may take a decision at its March 2021 meeting on the feasibility of going ahead with the campaign.

The Head of the Youth Department updated the Bureaux on the situation of the youth sector at the start of a new year which is still overshadowed by the current pandemic. The resilience and commitment of the youth sector statutory bodies and staff, as well as the participants in activities, have ensured positive results in 2020.

The Bureaux finalised the agendas of the next plenary meetings, to be held in March 2021, and heard progress reports on the work on protecting youth civil society; Roma youth participation; climate crisis and governance; and on Artificial Intelligence and its impact on young people.

The follow-up to the 3rd European Youth Work Convention (December 2020) and the Council of Europe’s role in the implementation of the European Youth Work Agenda were also discussed at length.

  For more information on the youth sector statutory bodies and on their decisions