Supported by the European Union and the Council of Europe and organised by the Council of Europe Youth Department in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and the National Youth Council of Hungary, the International Youth Seminar and Policy Symposium on Active Political Participation of National Minority Youth took place on 17-18 June 2024, at the premises of the European Youth Centre, in Budapest. It gathered over 30 young people belonging to national minorities from several Council of Europe member states, including three Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) and four youth activists from the Western Balkans.

The two-days event aimed at enhancing the political involvement of national minority youth and fostering active youth engagement across Europe. YEAs and youth activists contributed with their regional experience, including the prior engagement with the Council of Europe and the European Union through the Horizontal Facility programme.

The seminar focused on the themes outlined in the recent Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2023)9, adopted on 3 October 2023. The document addresses the active political participation of national minority youth and supports the implementation of decisions made at the 4th Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government (Reykjavík, 16-17 May 2023), specifically the Reykjavík Declaration - "United around our values" and the Reykjavík Principles for Democracy.

In his welcoming remarks, the Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge, stressed:  

“For a democracy to function properly, we each need to have the ability to contribute to civic life to benefit from it and to feel a sense of ownership of it. So, that we in turn are ready, willing, and able to defend democratic values. But some groups experience barriers to that participation. So, it is vitally important that we help governments take the necessary steps to overcome them.“

The seminar emphasised the importance of advancing the EU enlargement process in the Western Balkans and beyond, with a focus on youth political engagement and the participation of national minorities. It served also as a platform for young leaders and YEAs to formulate and present their proposals and projects, with the goal of drafting a roadmap for their comprehensive implementation in the coming years, exploring various funding opportunities from the European Youth Foundation and other potential sources. Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening democracy by actively engaging young people, as participants exchanged their visions and recommendations at the Policy Symposium.

The participation of youth from the Western Balkans to the seminar was supported by the joint European Union/Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and its regional action on “Promoting equality and combating racism and intolerance in the Western Balkans”.