The final meetings of the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ), the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) in this biennium will be a moment for taking stock of the past two years and for looking forward to the future.

Nearing the end of two eventful years, when the difficult budgetary and political situation facing the Council of Europe was debated at each meeting, the CMJ will assess the implementation of the three priorities of the Youth for Democracy programme.

• From priority 1: access to rights, particular attention will be paid to reviewing the outcomes of the Enter Youth Week! which brought together over 300 young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in July 2019, as well as the participants’ message.
• From priority 2: youth participation and youth work, information will be given on the next steps in the work to address the shrinking space for civil society, which will notably include the future writing of a new draft Committee of Ministers’ recommendation. Implementation of the recommendation on youth work and preparations for the European Youth Work Convention to be held in Germany in December 2020 will also be reviewed.
• From priority 3: peaceful and inclusive societies, the CMJ will examine a draft roadmap for the implementation of the new recommendation on supporting young refugees in transition to adulthood, the results and follow-up to the Roma Youth Action Plan and the conclusions and recommendations of the Gender Impact Assessment.

The CMJ will also prepare the 2020-2021 biennium and the implementation of the proposed new priorities. It will even pave the way for the longer term, with a final look at the Council of Europe youth sector strategy 2030.

Finally, Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Director General of Democracy, will address the CMJ and share her vision for the coming biennium.