As the Covid-19 crisis continues to have a major negative impact on the lives of millions of young people in Europe, the Bureaux of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and of the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) will meet online on 18 and 19 January 2021 to ensure the work of the Council of Europe youth sector statutory bodies continues swiftly in 2021 and beyond.

The Bureaux will prepare the next plenary meetings, to be held in March 2021, and examine upcoming strategic matters in a series of exchanges of views. With the Director of Democratic Participation, they will discuss a future flagship youth campaign on revitalising democracy to be launched in 2022 (subject to confirmation); with the Head of the Youth Department, they will look more closely at the youth sector’s situation in the current context, including its continuous response to Covid-19.

The Bureaux will also receive an oral report on progress with regard to several important matters, including: state of play of a draft Committee of Ministers’ recommendation on protecting youth civil society organisations; possible draft Committee of Ministers’ recommendation on Roma youth participation; Task Force on climate crisis and governance; Artificial Intelligence and its impact on young people.

Finally, the Bureaux will examine the follow-up to be given to the 3rd European Youth Work Convention (which was held online in December 2020) and the Council of Europe’s role in the implementation of the European Youth Work Agenda.