The Youth Department elaborates guidelines, programmes and legal instruments for the development of coherent and effective youth policies at local, national and European levels.

 

It provides funding and educational support for international youth activities aiming to promote youth citizenship, youth mobility and the values of human rights, democracy and cultural pluralism. It seeks to bring together and disseminate expertise and knowledge about the life situations, aspirations and ways of expression of young Europeans.

The No Hate Speech Movement youth campaign was launched in 2013 by the Council of Europe on the initiative of the youth representatives in the Joint Council on Youth. This committee brings together youth leaders from the Advisory Council on Youth and the governmental representatives of the European Steering Committee on Youth.

The Youth for Democracy programme continues to build on the legacy of the youth campaign, notably through human rights education, youth participation in Internet governance and combating discrimination affecting vulnerable groups of young people (including hate speech).

Its work on youth participation and countering discrimination, is particularly addressed through:

 

The Youth Department is part of the Directorate of Democratic Participation.