The Council of Europe remains committed to strengthening participatory youth policy and youth work in Ukraine, in an inclusive manner, taking into account the specific needs of young people at time of war. This was a key message to the Ukrainian Youth Forum 2025 that took place over four days in Lviv, the European Youth Capital 2025, and in Kyiv. It concluded on 12 August, International Youth Day, with a high-level event in the capital.
The event brought together over 200 participants, all working on the development of youth policy, strengthening partnerships at local and national levels, and contributing ideas on how young people can support the reconstruction process in Ukraine.
At the opening of the Forum on 9 August in Lviv, Hilde Haug, Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, reaffirmed the Council of Europe's support for Ukraine within the framework of the Action Plan "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" 2023-2026. She also emphasised the importance of spaces like the Forum to give young people a voice in shaping their future and to address youth-related issues, including the challenges young people face during wartime.
The "Alley of Opportunities" at the Forum gave an opportunity to young people and youth workers to explore resources developed by the Council of Europe youth sector, such as the "COMPASS Manual for Human Rights Education with Young People," the Trauma-Informed Youth Work training course manual, educational and informational posters on resilience and recovery, support and calming techniques, psychological first aid, and the Participatory Youth Policy Manual, based on a model training programme for civil servants and local self-government officials.
The first two days of the Forum took place in Lviv on 9-10 August and continued with a series of events in Kyiv on 11-12 August, organised in co-operation with the Ukrainian Danish Youth House and the United Nations Development Programme , where young people played the Council of Europe game "Solutions Exist!" which focuses on youth participation.
This year's programme also included the first Youth Day event at the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine, where representatives of national youth organisations and advisory bodies discussed youth perspective alongside relevant Council of Europe projects and the Register of Damage for Ukraine.
The Youth Day events were organised under the project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase IV," a part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" 2023-2026.
The Ukrainian Youth Forum is an annual event organised by the Council on Youth Affairs under the President of Ukraine, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the "TVORY!" network, and the "Lviv - European Youth Capital 2025" initiative with support of international partners, and in co-operation with the Office of the President of Ukraine.
