Young people must be at the centre of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction efforts, both as beneficiaries and main actors. Supporting the Lviv-European Youth Capital 2025, a major European civil society initiative, is therefore essential. The Council of Europe will continue to support young people of Ukraine, through evolving realities and trauma of war conditions, in all aspects, through youth work and youth policies related to young veterans, IDPs, minority youth, access to housing, education, public health information and other areas.

 These were the main messages from the visit and participation of the delegation of international youth civil society organisations, in the opening programme of the Lviv - the European Youth Capital 2025.

 “You are not alone; you will never be alone”, underlined Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy at the Council of Europe, during the opening ceremony of Lviv’s youth capital title. He added how important it was to continue to support Ukraine and young Ukrainians, but also how essential it was for the rest of Europe to be able to draw inspiration from Ukraine and young Ukrainians, from their resilience, their determination, courage to go on, even when it is not easy, from their creativity, the commitment for the values of democracy, human rights and their law, which they are defending for all Europeans against a ruthless aggressor. Gruden honoured the memory of activist Yaryna Bazylevych and all victims of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and concluded by stating that hopefully, Ukraine will soon enjoy a just and safe peace.

  The Youth Delegation, organised by the Council of Europe and the European Youth Forum, a longstanding partner of the Council of Europe, visited the community initiatives Urban Camp and the rehabilitation centre "UNBROKEN" during the three-day visit to Lviv. They also met with relevant youth stakeholders, Minister and Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport, as well as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Lviv, and the team from the Lviv-European Youth Capital 2025. Alongside their Ukrainian peers, youth leaders participated in the exchange with Bjørn Berge, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

 The European Youth Capital is a title awarded by the European Youth Forum designed to empower young people, boost youth participation and strengthen European identity of the continent’s cities.

 The visit was organised within the project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine”, a part of the Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” 2023-2026. It is continuation of the Council of Europe ongoing co-operation in support of Ukraine, which also included study visit to Lviv in October 2024, a side event to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in January 2025, and a solidarity event with Ukraine within the European Youth Conference in Braga, in February 2025.

photos in the gallery: Lviv European Youth Capital, Андрій Пашковський and youth delegation