Promote cooperation amongst young people involved in issues relating to democracy and youth participation at a global level;
Introduce participants to standards relating to youth participation – in particular the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life – as a basis for global reflection on supporting local action to revitalise democracy;
Create a space for reflection and engagement on future actions aimed at revitalising democracy;
To familiarise participants with the work of the Council of Europe’s Youth Department and opportunities for cooperation in the field of youth participation.
The event will bring together 135 young people from diverse backgrounds. These include 50 members of the youth delegation to the World Forum for Democracy; around 50 young people from France’s Grand Est region; and 35 members of the Génération Francophonie delegation, whose participation is coordinated by the Franco-Québec Office for Youth (OFQJ) in partnership with youth mobility organisations in Quebec, Germany and Belgium.
Participants will reflect on their local initiatives to revitalise democracy and discuss what other concrete, locally grounded actions they can take in their own communities. By bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, the event will create a space for cross-cultural dialogue and reflection on how to ensure meaningful youth participation in democratic life. The event discussions will link to the Manifesto: Youth visions for a European Democracy in 2049, developed during the New Democratic Pact youth event in June 2026. The Youth Day will also raise awareness of youth participation standards, particularly the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life.
The 2026 World Forum on Democracy will mark the culmination of the Pact’s consultation phase and will focus on “democratic foresight” – that is, the ability of our democracies to anticipate the future in order to strengthen democratic security in Europe. With this in mind, the 2026 World Forum on Democracy will bring together political decision-makers, representatives from civil society and academia, young people, the general public and experts from all walks of life. Over the course of two days, participants will take stock of European democracies, envisage possible futures based on forward-looking scenarios, and commit to taking concrete action at all levels of governance.
The Youth Department will bring together a delegation of around 50 young people from all over the world to take part in the World Forum for Democracy, sharing their perspectives as part of the consultation on the New Democratic Pact for Europe. To ensure that young people’s participation in the World Forum for Democracy meets the highest standards in terms of preparation and support, the Youth Department is organising a training session for the youth delegation on 31 October and 1 November 2026 at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg, which will be followed by their active participation and contribution to the World Forum for Democracy (2–3 November 2026).
The aim of the event is to:
The event will bring together 135 young people from diverse backgrounds. These include 50 members of the youth delegation to the World Forum for Democracy; around 50 young people from France’s Grand Est region; and 35 members of the Génération Francophonie delegation, whose participation is coordinated by the Franco-Québec Office for Youth (OFQJ) in partnership with youth mobility organisations in Quebec, Germany and Belgium.
Participants will reflect on their local initiatives to revitalise democracy and discuss what other concrete, locally grounded actions they can take in their own communities. By bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, the event will create a space for cross-cultural dialogue and reflection on how to ensure meaningful youth participation in democratic life. The event discussions will link to the Manifesto: Youth visions for a European Democracy in 2049, developed during the New Democratic Pact youth event in June 2026. The Youth Day will also raise awareness of youth participation standards, particularly the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life.
The 2026 edition of the World Forum for Democracy
