In 2026, the Youth Department of the Council of Europe is ramping up its long-standing commitment to supporting youth organisations’ unique and essential contributions to civil society, democracy and human rights. As part of this process, a consultative meeting on the strength and resilience of youth organisations was organised between the 21 – 23 January 2026 at the EYCB.

 The consultative meeting brought together 25 representatives of international youth organisations to reflect on their current realities, challenges and future needs in a rapidly changing and often fragile civic space.

Taking place within the Council of Europe’s broader commitment to democracy, human rights and meaningful youth participation, the consultative meeting focused on strengthening organisational resilience through democratic governance, effective management, strategic development, and advocacy.

 On the basis of peer exchange, dialogue with the youth sector of the Council of Europe and with external experts from the field of international philanthropy and civil society development, participants explored concrete forms of support, capacity building and cooperation, contributing to the design of future capacity development and support mechanisms that enable international youth organisations to thrive and remain sustainable, impactful and responsive to young people’s needs and interests across Europe.

 The 2026 training course on strength and resilience of INGYOs builds upon the findings of the consultative meeting and prior reflections in the youth sector, responding to the urgent need for strengthening organisational resilience. It recognises youth organisations as democratic laboratories, partners in governance, and drivers of change, whose operational effectiveness depends on accessible funding, robust support systems, and continuous capacity development.

 The programme will bring together a group of 30 participants selected among board members, senior staff, and leaders of INGYOs active in the Council of Europe programmes.

 Aim and Objectives

This training course aims to strengthen the resilience and operational capacity of international youth organisations by developing the competences of board members, senior staff, and leaders in managing sustainable operations in complex settings. It seeks to ensure these organisations are capable of sustaining democratic governance, financial stability, and their role within civil society, thereby upholding the priorities of the Council of Europe.

Objectives

• 1. To engage participants in a reflection on organisational needs among international youth organisations, particularly in areas of organisational management.
• 2. To build capacity on essential competences, skills, and attitudes for leaders and advocates, focusing on democratic governance and engagement with member organisations.
• 3. To develop and share strategies for sustainable organisational management, translating vision into action, including sustainable budgets and funding models, and access to educational tools and peer learning spaces.
• 4. To propose forms of support for international youth organisations—including capacity building, mentoring, peer learning, educational tools, advocacy and funding—to overcome challenges to resilience and operational effectiveness.
• 5. To foster mutual understanding and collaboration between youth organisations and the Council of Europe towards shared objectives in youth policy, democratic practice, and resilient civil society.

 Course structure

The training process is structured as follows:

•  Residential training course 

(4 days, 10 – 13 November 2026, Budapest)

• Sessions on leadership, governance, community management, embedding AI in organisational life, complex financial grants management and advocacy.

•  Foreseen e-learning and mentoring

(December 2026 – April 2027) – dependant on course development

• Adapting learning from the seminar to the local and organisational context.