On 29 and 30 October 2024, the Congress held two webinars to help young peoplecontribute to the recovery process.
Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori emphasised that “the active participation of all our citizens, including young people, is crucial to guaranteeing the legitimacy, credibility and functioning of our democracies.” Congress Deputy Spokesperson on Youth Ádám Karácsony (Hungary, ECR) put the focus on the ongoing revision of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life to reflect “the many societal changes that have taken place over the last two decades, which are transforming our democracies and the way in which young people participate in them.” He also referred to the recent Congress resolution on the integration of youth perspectives in local and regional democratic life as a political statement and a framework document setting out the Congress’ political viewpoint and key principles on youth participation.
Highlighting the importance of youth employment, Oleksandr Yarema, State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, pointed out that “building the capacities of young people through employment and training courses is of great importance not only for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, but also for its European aspirations and Euro-Atlantic integration.”
Congress youth delegates provided practical recommendations from their experiences in boosting youth participation at local level, emphasising the need for civic education to fuel youth engagement, as equipping young people with the necessary skills will lead them to contribute to decision making and making their voices heard.
The webinars were implemented as part of the Congress’ project “Strengthening multi-level governance, democracy and human rights at local level in Ukraine” within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023–2026. The project aims to strengthen dialogue, partnership, and consultation between different levels of government; enhance collaborative governance and citizen participation in line with the principles of local democracy and open government; and promote and guarantee the right to equality and non-discrimination at local level, for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.
