The 49th meeting of the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ), which brought together representatives from the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ), will take place in the European Youth Centre in Strasbourg on 24-25 October 2023.
A broad range of issues concerning young people at pan-European level will be discussed. The meeting will start with an opening address by Matjaž Gruden, Director of Democratic Participation, followed by the newly appointed Head of the Youth Department, Tobias Flessenkemper.
Members will discuss the follow-up to the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, which took place in Reykjavik on 16-17 May 2023. Special emphasis will be put on integrating a youth perspective in the Organisation’s intergovernmental and other deliberations, a key decision of the Reykjavik Declaration that adds to the principle of youth participation in decision-making – a principle that the Council of Europe has been implementing in its co-managed youth sector for more than 50 years. In this regard, the CMJ will review, with a view to their adoption, Elements for a Council of Europe reference framework for a youth perspective.
Another important item on the agenda will be the presentation and examination of a draft CM recommendation on young people and climate action, which addresses a priority issue for young Europeans and encourages member States to respect and fulfil their fundamental rights when they are advocating for clean and healthy environment.
Furthermore, the CMJ will examine its guidelines on young people's participation, which aim to provide up-to-date guidance on how the member States can encourage and strengthen youth participation taking into account the new trends that have emerged in this field over the last 20 years. The guidelines are based on two key Council of Europe texts on this subject, Recommendation Rec(2006)14 of the Committee of Ministers and Congress Resolution 152(2003).
The thematic debate on young people’s access to rights will seek concrete measures that member States and youth organisations can take to improve young people's ability to exercise their rights. The debate will also discover the youth-related work of other key bodies of the Organisation, such as the Commissioner for Human Rights and the relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.
The CMJ will also be updated on the Youth Revitalising Democracy project, the follow-up to the "Democracy Here | Democracy Now” campaign, and the establishment of a Roadmap on human rights education.
