Conference «Youth, climate change and water: the stakes of territorial development and the impact on the most disadvantaged »

Ian Micallef, President a.i of the Council of Europe Congress Strasbourg, 16 October 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, I welcome you to this meeting between young Europeans and local elected representatives, and I would like to thank the City of Schiltigheim and Solidarité Eau Europe for co-organising this event together with the Congress, in the framework of the European Local Democracy Week.

It is a great pleasure for me to be here today because the Congress attaches great importance to the active involvement of young people in democratic processes at local and regional level. Citizens gain their first democratic experience as young people at the local level and it is there that they learn about, and interact the most with democratic structures. This is why youth participation in democracy is crucial.

We in the Congress are convinced of the need to establish a permanent framework for dialogue between young people and elected representatives, a framework for youth participation in local and regional public life. Young people have a great deal to contribute to improving the governance of our communities, and their opinion must be valued and taken into account. With their energy and motivation, young people must also be fully involved in democratic action for the benefit of all citizens, and for their own benefit. This is why the Congress has been actively supporting the establishment of youth councils at regional and municipal level, as representative structures of young people that can provide input into political deliberations of elected representatives.

Allow me to present briefly the Congress’ stand on youth participation, and its action in favour of increased involvement of young people.

As I have just mentioned, the Congress firmly believes that young people, as citizens in the towns and regions where they live, have an important role to play in the development of a democratic society and in promoting the fundamental democratic principles which are the Council of Europe’s mission. When young people play this role, they gain understanding and insight into political life and democratic procedures which in turn enables them to promote these democratic values.

 

It is clear that democratic principles must be firmly embedded at national and international levels. However, genuine democracy is built first and foremost at local level, from the bottom up. At the same time, effective participation can only be achieved if the political will exists and if elected representatives are committed to developing a permanent dialogue with young people. The local and regional elected representatives which make up the Congress firmly believe in the importance of the participation of young people and translated this commitment into a set of principles and guidelines for such participation, brought together in the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life.

For the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, and here I quote from the Charter’s preamble:

“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.”

In other words, to participate means having influence on and responsibility for decisions and actions that affect the lives of young people. And as the Charter states, participation applies to ALL young people, from all walks of life, regardless of their social or ethnic origins, without discrimination.

The Congress’ Charter does not treat young people as victims or as a vulnerable group that needs protection. They are also not treated as objects of adults’ intervention, with the adults assuming they know what is best for young people – a common misconception. Young people are now seen as active players in organisations or in community life. They are seen as partners with lots of potential, talents and strengths.

Youth participation is a sort of youth-adult partnership in which everyone’s voice is heard and taken seriously, in which aims, objectives, roles, responsibilities and decisions are negotiated and agreed upon collectively. The skills and talents of young people and the experience and wisdom of adults come together in a mutually supportive atmosphere: no one instructs the other.

Youth participation takes many different forms, from voluntary work to being active in organisations, from participation in non-formal education to campaigning activities. The Congress’ Charter specifically aims to promote youth participation at local and regional levels by providing concrete ideas and instruments. The Charter is not a recipe on how to achieve effective youth participation, a recipe which must be followed step by step, as the situation in one country will be different to that in another. Indeed situations will be different from one community to another. The Charter should be seen rather as a set of principles, best practices and guidelines to enhance youth participation at local and regional levels.

I should also stress that, while the Charter is not a legally binding instrument, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, which represents the 47 member states of our Organisation, adopted the recommendation supporting its implementation. This means that the member states have a moral responsibility to put it into practice, even though they are not legally bound to do so.

However, no youth policy will succeed unless the highest political level of the community is committed to dealing with youth issues and prepared to make them a priority. Meetings and encounters such as the one we are having today is a tangible expression of such commitment from both elected representatives and young people. We are here to exchange our views and opinions, but most importantly to listen to your views and opinions.

This is why I look forward to our discussions, which – I am sure – will be interesting and fruitful.

Thank you.