Increasing confidence, improving quality and strengthening the resilience of European democracies through stronger youth participation, drawing on the Council of Europe's New Democratic Pact for Europe, was the key objective of the 10th Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, which concludes in Valletta today.
At their first gathering in 13 years, Ministers adopted a Final Declaration and a Resolution on a Youth Perspective, pledging to put young people at the heart of Europe's democratic renewal. The conference builds on the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government in Reykjavík (2023), where leaders called for a youth perspective in all intergovernmental deliberations, recognising that youth participation strengthens democratic institutions and makes policy more effective.
"Young people are telling us, with increasing clarity, that democracy no longer feels meaningful to them, that they are losing trust," said Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset. "But as Europe rearms, we cannot ignore where that could lead if extremist or authoritarian regimes were to take hold. The answer is not to abandon democracy; it is to renew it, to rebuild trust, and to make it matter for the next generation."
What Ministers agreed in Valletta
- Youth perspective in policymaking
Adoption of a new Reference Framework on a Youth Perspective, structured around four commitments:
- Think with young people
- Learn from and with young people
- Participate with young people
- Act with and for young people
- Protecting civic space and citizenship education
Ministers pledged to safeguard young people's democratic rights in elections, ensure freedom of speech and protest, and reinforce youth councils and structures, especially where civic space is shrinking. They also stressed the importance of citizenship education in peacebuilding and intercultural dialogue as a foundation for democratic resilience.
- Ukraine
Continued priority support for young people in Ukraine, including youth infrastructure and the reintegration of young veterans. Ministers took first steps toward a third European Youth Centre in the Black Sea region, in addition to the existing European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest.
- Climate and technology
Commitment to defend the right to a clean environment, support youth-led climate action, and mitigate risks of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.
- Social rights and inclusion
Focus on youth facing barriers such as unemployment, precarious housing, poor healthcare, and discrimination.
- Next steps
Luxembourg has offered to host the next Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth in 2028.
Youth voices: "We need this Pact. This Pact needs youth."
"Young people are crucial to the shaping of our shared and democratic future; their perspectives are key to strengthening democratic institutions and improving the quality of decision-making processes," the Ministers declared. The Resolution on a Youth Perspective is designed to guide member states in integrating youth perspectives across policy areas, with the aim of developing "forward-looking and future-proof policies that reflect the needs and energy of young people and are responsive to current and future challenges."
Nina Grmuša, Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth and Vice-Chair of the Conference, described the new Reference Framework as "our shared instrument to make sure the imperative of youth participation becomes reality in every member state." She urged governments to translate values into practice: "To think with youth. To learn with and from youth. To participate with youth. To act with and for youth. That is the youth perspective - not an investment, but an imperative."
Yevheniia Fedotova, member of the Advisory Council on Youth, drew on her experience of Ukraine to describe the New Democratic Pact for Europe as a "window":
"A window allows light to illuminate what was previously obscure, it provides visibility into spaces we might not otherwise see, and it creates a connection between those on different sides. In many ways, this is precisely what we need from the Pact. When Ukrainian youth volunteers study under air raid sirens and plan reconstruction in bomb shelters, they are defending Europe's democratic security. We need this Pact. This Pact needs youth."
Malta's Presidency of the Committee of Ministers
Secretary General Alain Berset
The New Democratic Pact for Europe
