28th SESSION
Strasbourg, 24-26 March 2015
CG/2015(28)19
10 March 2015
Information on the participation of youth delegates in the Congress’ 28th Session
What is the Council of Europe’s and Congress’ youth policy on participation?
The Council of Europe is committed to “promoting young people’s active participation in democratic processes and structures, promoting equal opportunities for the participation of all young people in all aspects of their everyday lives”.[1] “Conscious that direct involvement of youth in the affairs of society remains essential, as a safeguard for democracy and for sustainable development in the municipalities and regions”,[2] the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopted its Revised European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life in 2003. The Charter is a tool to promote and enhance meaningful youth participation at local and regional levels across Europe. According to the Charter, “participation in the democratic life of any community is about more than voting or standing for election, although these are important elements. Participation and active citizenship is about having the right, the means, the space and the opportunity and where necessary the support to participate in and influence decisions and engage in actions and activities so as to contribute to building a better society”.
What conclusions can be drawn on the current state of youth participation in Europe?
The Congress’ 2012 report on “Youth and democracy: the changing face of youth political engagement” concluded that, although studies show an increasing disengagement from conventional political participation by young people in recent years, young people’s democratic values are still strong. Faced with a political system that they feel does not give them their share of power and full citizenship, young people have found other non-mainstream forms of democratic activities appropriate to their own understanding of democracy and citizenship. However, it is only through a more active civic and political participation in the mainstream democratic society that young people can make their voices heard. And it is only by hearing young people’s voices that democratic institutions can regain the political and social legitimacy they seem to have lost in young people’s eyes.
Which principles should guide the Congress in its future work to promote youth participation?
The Congress should be guided by its own principles which are summed up in Congress Resolution 346(2012) on youth and democracy: the changing face of youth political engagement. This text invites local and regional authorities to offer opportunities to young people to enter into a structured dialogue with them by setting up joint decision-making mechanisms, in the form of joint councils composed of elected local and regional councillors and youth representatives. According to the Charter, young people should be involved in decision making in such a way that they can influence and shape decisions which impact on their lives. Its introduction states that “[a]uthorities must engage with young people on an equal basis, avoiding hierarchical relationships which put youth in an inferior position. Young people must not be treated as victims, as a vulnerable group that needs protection, nor as objects of adults’ intervention, with the adults assuming they know what is best for young people”.
How is the Congress promoting youth participation in its own work?
Youth participation requires that local and regional authorities engage with young people on a range of issues. In recognition of this, in October 2014 the Congress invited one young person to participate in the Congress’ Session as part of each of its 47 national delegations. The aim was to create a space for dialogue between young people and local and regional elected representatives. The Congress believes it is important to build on the success of this exercise and to see how it can implement the Council of Europe’s and the Congress’ youth policy on promoting the participation of young people in its own decision and policy making.
How will the Congress follow up on its 2014 theme of empowering youth?
The Congress’ Bureau has approved a proposal to explore ways to follow up on the 2014 theme of “Empowering youth: a shared responsibility for cities and regions” and to set up an ad hoc reflection group, composed of equal numbers of Congress members and representatives of the Council of Europe Youth Sector’s co-management structure, to examine the feasibility of introducing a method for engaging in a structured dialogue with young people. The ad hoc reflection group will meet three or four times in 2015 and present the fruit of its work to the Congress’ Bureau for approval at its first meeting in 2016. As a contribution to this reflection process, fifteen of the 2014 youth delegates will be invited to take part in the 28th Session. They will be given the opportunity to work on their vision of youth participation in the Congress’ work and to discuss this with the ad hoc group.
What are the aim and objectives of the youth participation in the Session?
The aim is to provide space for fifteen youth delegates to reflect on and formulate their vision of how the Congress could implement a mechanism for structured dialogue with young people.
The specific objectives are to:
- debrief on how they have been promoting youth participation since the 27th Session;
- raise further the youth delegates’ awareness of the Congress: how, through its action, it promotes and safeguards local and regional democracy; its priorities; and its working methods;
- discuss the principles of youth participation, with reference to the Congress’ Revised European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life;
- brainstorm on how young people can have their say in the Congress’ work with due regard to its administrative framework and nature as a political assembly;
- draw up their vision to present to the ad hoc reflection group;
- allow the youth delegates to take active part in the debates organised during the 28th session and in the meetings of the Congress’ three committees.
Who are the youth delegates?
The fifteen youth delegates were elected by the thirty-four delegates from 2014. They are from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Slovak Republic and United Kingdom. They are students, youth workers, volunteers, youth activists, politicians, etc and are aged between 17 and 29. A member of the Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth, a representative of the European Youth Forum and youth representatives from two of the Congress’ observers – the Assembly of European Regions and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions – are also invited to take part.
What will they do while in Strasbourg?
The youth delegates’ programme will start on Monday 23 March 2015 when a special training session will be run by one of the Council of Europe Youth Sector’s trainers. During this session, the youth delegates will look more closely at the issue of youth participation and be discussing the Congress’ proposal to that they may work on their own ideas to present to the ad hoc group. From Tuesday to Thursday (24-26), the youth delegates will be invited to take part in the debates organised during the plenary sittings and the sessions of the chambers. In addition, they will participate in the meetings of the three Congress committees. Youth delegates may take the floor in debates and meetings but will not have the right to vote.
Which communication methods will be available during the Session?
A Twitter wall will be installed in the hemicycle in order that the general public and other actors may make their voices heard during the thematic debates. Questions and comments can be made by following @youthsessioncoe and using the hashtag #youthsession2015. Comments must respect the principles of the Council of Europe. Only comments in English or French will be published.
Webcast: The session will be shown live on www.coe.int/congress.
Information on the Congress’ youth policy can be found on www.coe.int/congress.
For any queries, please contact [email protected] or for press queries, [email protected].
Contact: Joanne Hunting, Table Office