“The Congress promotes youth participation and empowerment” stated Eunice Campbell-Clark, Vice-President of the Congress, in a video message delivered on the occasion of the European Youth Festival 2016 on the theme “Digital creativity improving society”, in Graz (Austria) on 30 November 2016. Recalling that this fifth jubilee year of the European Youth Award takes place under the patronage of the Congress, she outlined Congress actions in this field. “We must bring down barriers to youth participation. This is why the Congress adopted a resolution in 2015 in which we asked local authorities to create the opportunities for young citizens and elected representatives to enter into dialogue in order to strengthen the links between them and to explore participation modalities such as co-management” Eunice Campbell-Cark explained. “The Congress also promotes youth participation and empowerment within its own body by inviting youth delegates from Council of Europe Member States to attend Congress sessions and by cooperating with them so that they can develop projects together with their local authorities at home” she added. Finally she welcomed the addition, among the 13 outstanding solutions reflecting the Council of Europe’s goals selected by the jury, of a special category on the refugee movement, integration, and migration.       

Speech - Eunice Campbell-Clark