Youth

Programme orientations for expected result 1:

• Advocating a sustainable enabling environment in which young people can exercise their right to assemble and to freely form, join and be active in associations;
• Advancing young people’s participation in political processes;
• Advocating the importance of an expanding space for youth civil society organisations in order that they may develop and flourish;
• Supporting youth participation in artificial intelligence and Internet governance processes;
• Supporting member States and youth organisations to implement the principles of the Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life; further disseminating the “Have your say” manual to public authorities and the non-governmental sector;
• Supporting the capacity of youth organisations to participate and facilitate participation of young people in decision-making processes at local level, with renewed focus on youth organisations which work with young people in rural areas, from minorities, or vulnerable groups;
• Supporting youth policy actors to understand and influence the impact of artificial intelligence on young people;
• Supporting youth policy actors to understand and address the impact of emerging trends such as the climate crisis and environmental degradation on young people and democracy.

The sustainability of the Council of Europe’s core values relies also on the creativity, competences, social commitment, and contribution of young people as well as on their confidence in the future. Youth policies and youth work practice must support young people to realise their full potential as autonomous members of society, enabling them to develop life plans and exercise their democratic citizenship. Special attention will be paid to young people’s participation in political processes. Throughout this priority, the participation of young people with disabilities and inclusive youth work will be promoted.

Indicators (Target 2025)

• Number of youth leaders and multipliers trained in study sessions supporting youth participation (700).
• Percentage of participants in study sessions declaring they have increased their capacity to develop youth policy (80%).
• Number of young people and public authorities’ officials supported through joint training courses (50/50) and seminars on the Revised European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life (Recommendation Rec(2004)13) (320).
• Number of youth organisations involved in activities on governance of the Internet and artificial intelligence and on artificial intelligence literacy (60).
• Number of participants in activities on the climate crisis and its relation to youth participation and Democracy (200).

Programme orientations for expected result 2:

• Implementing the roadmap on the dissemination of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)7 on young people’s access to rights and its first five-year review;
• Implementing support measures to member States, local authorities and youth organisations to follow-up the conclusions of the review of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)3 on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights (ENTER! Recommendation);
• Continuing the Human Rights Education Youth Programme, and reviewing the implementation of the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education;
• Supporting and developing information, data and media literacy with children and young people;
• Increasing the understanding and addressing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on young people and the exercise of social rights, including physical and mental health;
• Mainstreaming rights-based approaches in youth policies, programmes and projects.

Young people’s access to rights depends on their capacity to exercise them, which presupposes knowledge of them and being able to advocate them. The promotion of access to rights for all young people will be pursued with member States and youth organisations through measures to support the implementation (at local, regional, national and European levels) of the Committee of Ministers’ recommendations CM/Rec(2016)7 on young people’s access to rights and CM/Rec(2015)3 on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights. Special attention will be paid to the continuation of the Human Rights Education Youth Programme ‑ both on- and offline, the review of the implementation of the EDC/HRE Charter, as well as any evaluation of and latest developments by the Council of Europe in the Internet and media literacy fields.

Indicators (Target 2025)

• Number of youth leaders, youth workers and other multipliers participating in study sessions, training courses, seminars and other activities on access to rights, human rights education and education for democratic citizenship (1000).
• Percentage of participants in study sessions declaring they have increased their knowledge on access to rights, human rights education and education for democratic citizenship (80%).
• Number of youth work projects and policy initiatives by municipalities and youth organisations to implement the ENTER! Recommendation on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights (Recommendation CM/Rec(2015)3) (50).
• Number of participants involved in local outreach activities for human rights in the European Youth Centres (3600).
• Number of translations and adaptations of educational resources for human rights education (HRE)/EDC published by national partners (30).

Programme orientations for expected result 3:

Combating all forms of discrimination, racism and exclusion, including structural forms, with a specific focus on:

• Roma youth participation and combating antigypsyism;
• social inclusion of young refugees and their transition from childhood to adulthood;
• multiple discrimination on the grounds of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights and intersectionality (including gender equality, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability).

Enabling young people to promote peaceful societies by providing them with opportunities to play an active role in:

• intercultural dialogue;
• peacebuilding and conflict transformation;
• co-operation with neighbouring and other world regions, especially through youth mobility programmes and opportunities for intercultural learning;
• convening institutions, representative bodies, community groups and the wider society for dialogue;
• volunteering and solidarity actions at local, national and regional and international levels.

Mainstreaming inclusiveness, equality and intersectionality.

Enhancing the inclusion and participation of young people in the rural communities.

Preventing and counteracting discrimination, to allow the democratic participation of all young people, remain central to the Council of Europe’s youth policy and a permanent concern of its partners. These are necessary steps to strengthen social cohesion and respect for diversity. A specific focus is also needed on developing intercultural competences and detecting, preventing and combating all forms of discrimination on the grounds of Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, taking an intersectional approach, especially through youth mobility.

The lives of too many young people are still shaped by armed conflicts and their consequences. Youth organisations and youth workers play an important role in supporting young people in these situations and in promoting the application of the Council of Europe’s standards and experiences across the member States. Youth organisations and youth workers also play a role in supporting intercultural dialogue with neighbouring regions and involving young people in confidence-building and conflict-transformation activities in the spirit of the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security and of the Council of Europe White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue.

Indicators (Target 2025)

• Number of youth workers supported through training courses, study sessions and youth peace and dialogue camps bringing together young people from conflict regions (650).
• Percentage of participants in study sessions declaring they have increased their knowledge and skills to work on peace-building and intercultural dialogue (80% ).
• Number of multipliers participating in intercultural dialogue activities between European and Arab youth leaders (400).
• Number of multipliers and stakeholders’ representatives in activities supporting Roma youth participation (300).
• Number of young people involved in study sessions about combating all forms of discrimination with an intersectional approach (500).
• Date of availability of publication of a user-friendly version of Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)4 on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood (31/12/2023).
• Date of availability of the conclusions and recommendations of the review process of Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)4 on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood (31/12/2025).

Programme orientations for expected result 4:

• pursuing the dissemination and implementation of Committee of Ministers’ Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 on youth work and promoting a European youth work agenda;
• supporting the access to[1] quality development and recognition of youth work and non-formal education and learning and their dissemination to member States (e.g. through the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres and the Council of Europe Youth Work Portfolio);
• pursuing quality development and innovation (including digitalisation) in the capacity-building activities of the Youth Department.

[1] New for 2022-23.

Youth work as a social practice makes an important contribution to active citizenship and youth participation by providing opportunities to acquire the values, attitudes, skills, knowledge and critical understanding required for effective civic engagement and social action in democratic culture. In this respect, special attention will be paid to the dissemination of Council of Europe standards in relation to the training of youth workers and to the quality of youth work provisions.

Indicators (Target 2025)

• Number of multipliers reached in activities to support the quality development and recognition of youth work and non-formal education and learning through the application of Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 on youth work and the Council of Europe Youth Work Portfolio (300).
• Number of advices (advisory missions, opinions) provided by experts on youth work regarding recognition and training of youth workers (30).
• Number of users in e-learning, blended learning and hybrid activities (1500).
• New users of the Council of Europe Youth Worker Portfolio (700).
• Date of availability of the guidelines to implement the European Youth Work Agenda (31/12/2022)
• Date of availability of the conclusions and recommendations of the review process of Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 on youth work (31/12/2023).

Programme orientations for expected result 5:

• assisting member States to integrate Council of Europe standards into national youth policies, action plans and strategies through a diversified package of assistance measures, and encouraging them to do so in close co-operation with national youth organisations and networks;
• supporting the capacity building of relevant public authorities to implement national youth policies in accordance with the Council of Europe’s standards and approaches, and fostering their co-operation with various groups of young people and youth NGOs;
• ensuring the dissemination and implementation of Council of Europe standards, with a special focus on the Council of Europe youth sector strategy 2030 (Resolution CM/Res(2020)2) and on Committee of Ministers’ recommendations (CM/Rec(2019)4 on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood, CM/Rec(2017)4 on youth work, CM/Rec(2016)7 on young people’s access to rights and CM/Rec(2015)3 on the access of young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights);
• assisting interested member States to develop national quality standards for youth centres, based on the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres;
• promoting and encouraging geographical balance in member States taking part in the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres programme.

The fifth expected result focuses on supporting the member States in the development of their youth policy. This expected result is included in the programme of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and does not fall within the remit of the CMJ, however is given here for information only.

Indicators (Target 2025)

• Number of assistance measures on Council of Europe youth policy standards provided to member States through capacity-building and policy advice (12).
• Number of translations of Council of Europe youth policy standards in view of their dissemination in member States (24).
• Number of member States assisted in the development of quality standards for youth centres, notably through the Council of Europe Quality Label for Youth Centres (8).
• Date of availability of the draft Recommendation on Roma youth participation (31/12/2022).
• Date of availability of the mid-term review of the Council of Europe Youth sector strategy 2030 (31/12/2025).