On 15 and 16 October 2019, the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) took stock of its numerous achievements during its current two-year mandate.
Of the youth sector’s flagship event of the year 2019 – the Enter! Youth Week – the Joint Council acknowledged its success and encouraged the Organisation, but also member states, to ensure it is given the full attention and follow-up it deserves.
The CMJ recognised that the highlight of its standard-setting work was the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of its recommendation on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood. This text, which was the fruit of close co-operation with the Council of Europe Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees, reaffirms the human rights of a particularly vulnerable group of young people.
Marking the end of three years of wide-ranging consultations and in-depth discussions, the Joint Council on Youth adopted the new draft Youth sector strategy 2030. Thanks to this Strategy and subject to its final adoption by the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Europe youth sector will continue to show its added value, its relevance, and its key role in associating young people with the Organisation’s values. The Strategy will reaffirm the specific contribution of the Council of Europe youth sector to the objectives of the Organisation and its capacity to develop appropriate responses to new situations and challenges, for instance in the fields of climate crisis, Artificial Intelligence and internet governance.
Last but not least, the Joint Council on Youth celebrated the Bronze World Future Policy Award 2019 which it had just won! This prestigious Award recognised the Council of Europe’s cutting-edge youth co-management system as one of the world’s best policies to empower young people. Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Director General of Democracy who opened the CMJ meeting, warmly congratulated the Joint Council on Youth and hoped the Award would be an encouragement for all member states and stakeholders to continue supporting the excellent work the Council of Europe was doing to promote its youth policy standards for the benefit of all young people in Europe.
