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Back Co-operation in the field of youth in Ukraine was discussed in Strasbourg

© Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine

On 3 October, 2024, a meeting of the Steering Committee of the Framework Programme for Co-operation in the Field of Youth Policy between the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the Council of Europe for 2021-2025 was held at the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg.

Among the key topics of the meeting were discussed:

Supporting youth policy in Ukraine through the co-management system of the Council of Europe.
Special call of the European Youth Foundation to support young people in Ukraine.
Results of the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" in 2023-2024.
Priorities of activities for 2024-2025 within the framework of the Co-operation Programme.

In particular, the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" in 2023-2024 presented the results of a new professional development programme "Participatory Youth Policy", implemented in co-operation with the National Agency of Civil Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Association of Youth Councils. The purpose of the Model Programme is to increase the level of professional competencies of civil servants and officials of the local self-governments to ensure the participation of young people in the formation and implementation of youth policy, taking into account the standards and approaches of the Council of Europe.

As part of the programme, the Project created a training manual, conducted training for trainers, prepared a series of videos of youth participation practices, and provided mentoring and expert support to the trainers team in the preparation and implementation of trainings at the regional and local levels.

In response to the needs of key national and local partners in Ukraine, the Council of Europe Projects "Facilitating Access to Human Rights and Essential Services for Internally Displaced Persons and Returnees to Ukraine" and "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" launched a programme “Trauma-Informed Approach in the Context of Access to Human Rights and Essential Services for Internally Displaced Persons and Persons returning to Ukraine."

In 2024, the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" together with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine launched a long-term training course for youth trainers. The course contributes to the implementation of youth projects in Ukraine by developing the competencies of 28 youth workers, youth coaches, young activists; maintaining the quality of non-formal education and learning activities in the war and post-war periods, as well as enabling young people to actively support, protect, promote and benefit from the core values of the Council of Europe: human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

In co-operation with young people and an expert team, the Council of Europe project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" developed and published the visual tool "Зірки. Stars. Les Étoiles.» for education and training of young people and professional communities on human rights, democracy, non-formal education, youth participation, environmental protection, cultural heritage, artificial intelligence, anti-discrimination and social cohesion.

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Еhe Council of Europe Project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" was launched within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" for 2023-2026. The third phase is based on results and experience in 2020-2022. The project expands the systematic impact by strengthening participatory youth policy and strengthening youth work during the war and in the post-war context, taking into account the needs of young people.

The project is implemented in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine in three components: 1) participatory youth policy; 2) recognition of youth work in wartime (including trauma-informed youth work); 3) support for youth centres and youth organisations as platforms for civic engagement and democratic participation.

The project "Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase III" highlights the importance of the Council of Europe's Youth Sector Strategy 2030 and reflects the National Strategy of State Youth Policy until 2030, the State Target Social Programme "Youth of Ukraine" 2021-2025.

The project encourages youth policy stakeholders in Ukraine to implement and disseminate the Recommendations of the Committee of Ministers to Member States: on access of youth from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to social rights, CM/Rec(2015)3; on young people's access to rights, CM/Rec(2016)7; on youth work, CM/Rec(2017)4; on the participation of Roma youth, CM/Rec(2023)4; on the protection of youth civil society and youth and support for their participation in democratic processes, CM/Rec(2022)6.