The Social Inclusion Committee of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities approved the revised text of the European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life. The text is to be discussed and adopted in the Congress session in October.
In the Committee meeting, Aida Karimli, the Congress rapporteur highlighted the importance of this European standard in the current political context: ”Youth participation is NOT a tool. Youth participation is a core principle of democracy”. She said that if we are to revitalize democracy and build trust between young people and democratic institutions, then the vote in the Committee on the European Charter on youth participation should be equal to commitment to its principles, to the human rights of young people and to the thorough implementation that can only be done in partnership between the Congress and the Joint Council.
Matias Rubio, Advisory Council on Youth and member of the drafting group, thanked the Congress for the excellent cooperation in co-drafting the Charter and setting up the public consultations with young people, youth civil society and local and regional authorities, highlighting the importance of the European Youth Conference held in Braga in February 2025.
Nina Grmuša, Chair of the Joint Council on Youth, highlighted that the Charter, in its current format, puts an important emphasis on the principles of youth participation and their articulation with human rights, which should guide in implementation. Equally important, the Charter also raises attention to the importance of the eco-system for participation: from legal and policy frameworks, to training and appropriate financing of youth structures in the framework of local and regional authorities, recognition and support to youth organisations, youth led spaces and centres, youth work opportunities.
The European Charter on participation of young people in local and regional life was co-drafted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe together with the Joint Council on Youth (therefore with young people). Revised in 2003, following its 10th anniversary, the Charter sets out a widely used definition of youth participation, key principles, sectoral policies and ways to structurally organise youth participation in decision making. In 2024, the Congress has initiated a process of revision of the Charter with a view to strengthen youth participation and democracy at local and regional level.
The European youth conference, Young people in local and regional life: democracy in action!, took place in Braga between 5-7 February 2025. The conference brought together about 100 youth representatives, as well as representatives of local authorities in the Council of Europe member states. The event aimed to strengthen youth participation in decision making at local and regional level, and therefore contribute to the revitalisation of democracy. It was also an occasion to learn from good practices of youth democratic participation and to take part in the consultations concerning the revision of the European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life.
