"Youth must be present in everything we do," said the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, in his opening speech at the youth Ministerial conference today. "We need to build a bridge across the gap between generations that threatens to pull us apart - this is why we must genuinely listen to young people, setting aside our prejudices - and even some of our own experiences.
"Young people are disillusioned with democracy. This is a wake-up call," the Secretary General warned. He stressed the urgency to integrate young people as partners in parliaments, councils and governing boards, and to provide the resources and support needed for youth-led initiatives. "That is why the Council of Europe has launched a reflection on a New Democratic Pact for Europe - a process to strengthen the foundations of democracy, restore trust, and make it meaningful for the next generation. We are now in its first phase - a consultation with governments, parliaments, cities, experts, civil society, and citizens." With youth delegates sitting side by side with their more experienced colleagues, the conference in Malta contributes to the process, he noted.
Malta: putting youth front and centre
The conference "Young people for democracy: youth perspectives in action" is organised under Malta's Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which has placed youth participation and democracy at the heart of its presidency agenda.
"I am confident that our meeting here this week will not only be stimulating and productive but will also give renewed energy and momentum to our common commitment to supporting young people across Europe and empowering them to shape their own future and that of our continent", said Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation of Malta, in his opening speech. "Malta has not only played a significant role in promoting and advancing the Council of Europe's youth policies, such as its Recommendation on youth work, but has also been proactive in embedding the values and aspirations of the Council of Europe in our national youth policies."
Europe's youth are its future
The Ministerial Conference will gather some 400 participants who will review developments since the previous gathering more than a decade ago and set the course for European youth policy for the coming decade. Nina Grmuša, Chairperson of the Advisory Council on Youth and the Joint Council on Youth, is a Vice-Chair of the Conference. She and Rareș Voicu, President of the European Youth Forum, will address the Ministers on behalf of Europe's youth sector.
The conference aims to support policymakers with tools to develop inclusive, youth-centred policies and youth-work strategies, strengthen youth perspective in policy-making, and to reaffirm the Council of Europe's support for Ukraine in the field of youth as a priority for the organisation.
The conference is expected to adopt a final declaration and a resolution outlining shared priorities for strengthening youth participation and democratic resilience across Europe. The participants will also commit to the Council of Europe Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective as a guiding document for policy advancement within the Council of Europe and its member states.
New Democratic Pact for Europe
Secretary General Alain Berset
Malta's Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
The Council of Europe and youth
