The Council of Europe co-management system in the youth field, where youth NGOs and governments have an equal say, has received today the 2019 Future Policy Bronze Award at a ceremony on the margins of the 141^st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Belgrade, Serbia.

The theme of this year’s award is youth empowerment; it celebrates policies that advance young women and men’s access to decent jobs and stimulate their civic engagement and political participation. Nominees of the Future Policy Award usually include international organisations, academia, NGOs, parliamentary networks and government agencies with outstanding policies working on the sustainable development and in the interest of current and future generations. In 2019, 67 policies from 36 countries, regional and international level were nominated for the award for their activities on empowering youth.

Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, representing the organisation at the ceremony, said: “I am very pleased that this Award has recognised the Council of Europe’s cutting-edge youth co-management system as one of the world’s best policies to empower young people. This Award is also an encouragement for all our Member states and stakeholders to promote the Council of Europe’s youth policy standards for the benefit of all young people in Europe. This year, the Council of Europe is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Over this period, the Council of Europe has helped shape generations of democracy- and human rights-spirited young Europeans and will continue doing so in the years to come.”

The co-management system that has received the award is a unique practice developed by the Council of Europe, where elected representatives of some 30 youth European NGOs and representatives of governments and public authorities responsible for youth issues come together in the Joint Council of Youth to make decisions and shape policies. Among its priorities, the Joint Council on Youth supports young people’s access to rights, youth participation and youth work, as well as inclusive and peaceful societies.

The Future Policy Award is organised by World Future Council, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Development Programme.