Jeunesse

In 2024, the Committee of Ministers welcomed the decision of the Maltese authorities to organise the 10^th Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth in 2025 in the framework of its presidency of the Committee of Ministers. 

In respect of the co-management and the tradition of the youth sector, the Conference of Ministers was also be attended by young people who furthermore took part in the youth event preceding the conference.
 

 Aims

The youth event aimed to:

• secure a youth perspective in the process of developing the New Democratic Pact for Europe;
• be a space for youth representatives to understand and plan the follow-up to the Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, notably in respect of the implementation of a youth perspective in the member States, and the key points raised by the Declaration to be adopted by the Ministers.
• enhance the networking and advocacy capacities of the participants.
   

 Participants

The youth event gathered some 80 young participants:

• national youth delegates, members of the national delegations for the 10^th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth representing national youth councils, or similar organisations;
• members of the Advisory Council on Youth;
• representatives of international youth organisations, Congress youth delegates and Maltese youth civil society.
   

  Organisers

The youth event was prepared by a group nominated by the Joint Council on Youth and composed of representatives of the Advisory Council on Youth, the European Steering Committee for Youth, the European Youth Forum and the Maltese National Youth Council.
 

 The Youth Event was part of:

• New Democratic Pact for Europe  –  The Council of Europe unites with its partners to boost solutions that work and create new responses to the challenges undermining democracy in Europe. To identify these responses, consultations are needed. The Pact serves as a collective and inclusive process – not to reinvent democracy, but to reinforce its foundations, amplify its benefits, and innovate its form to make it tangible for everyone, especially younger generations. The directions set during the consultation phase running through 2026 will shape the work that follows.

• Youth revitalising democracy – The project, led by the Youth Department, aims at strengthening processes of revitalising democracy through youth participation and agency, directly responding to the priorities set by the Reykjavik Summit of Heads of State and Governments, in particular the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy.  It builds on the successful implementation of the youth campaign Democracy Here | Democracy Now (2022) and the Call for Action, containing 50 proposals for actions to revitalise democracy to be implemented on medium term by youth civil society, member states and the Council of Europe. The activities enhance democratic youth participation through standards and support measures to youth participation in decision-making processes at local or national level, and the creation/maintenance of an enabling environment for youth civil society, as well as provides opportunities for education about human rights and democratic values.