Informal exchange of views with representatives of civil society,
organised on the initiative of the Chair of the GR-J
“The participation of organisations representing youth, in particular the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ), in the development of soft law in the Council of Europe”
Strasbourg, 1 July 2022, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
AGENDA
10 a.m. Opening
Ambassador Christian Meuwly, Chair of the Rapporteur Group on Legal Co-operation (GR-J)
Ambassador Fakhraddin Ismayilov, Chair of the Rapporteur Group on Education, Culture, Sport, Youth and Environment (GR-C)
10.05 – 10.25 a.m. Introduction: setting the scene of the Council of Europe youth sector
Iordanis Chorozoglou, Conference of INGOs Youth Representative
Spyros Papadatos, Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ)
Miriam Teuma, Chair of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and of the Joint Council on Youth (CMJ)
Jeroen Schokkenbroek, Director, Directorate of Anti-discrimination
The Council of Europe youth sector, with its ground-breaking co-managed, co-decision-making structure, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. This unique approach gives a voice to young people in decision-making processes, involves them in the formulation of policies and programmes, promotes their active participation and practises participative budgeting.
The youth policy standards which have been developed by the Council of Europe youth sector are renowned references in Europe and beyond.
Some of the issues that could be explored by this informal exchange of views are:
Why is it important to take a cross-sectoral approach to policymaking and ensure young people’s needs and concerns are dealt with by other sectors’ policies?
What are some of the barriers to inviting young people and youth organisations to the policy-making table? What can be done to overcome these barriers?
Can the Advisory Council on Youth be one of the partners for the Council of Europe’s steering committees and other institutions when drafting soft law?
Are there any existing positive examples of co-operation with youth civil society in developing soft law in the Council of Europe?
Why and how do public authorities involve young people in policy making?
How has the Advisory Council been contributing recently to ensure the youth perspective is reflected in the Council of Europe’s soft-law texts?
Speakers:
Anastasios Chatzivasileiou (Greece, EPP/CD), Rapporteur on the establishment of a “youth partner” status with the Parliamentary Assembly
Wolfram Bechtel, Secretariat, Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI)
Kristian Bartholin, Secretariat, former Ad hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAHAI)
Pia Slogar, Advisory Council on Youth, representing Youth of European Nationalities (YEN)
Nika Bakhsoliani, former Advisory Council on Youth member, Human Rights Education Youth Network (HREYN)
Zuzana Pavelkova, former Advisory Council on Youth member, Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG)
Pegah Moulana, former Advisory Council on Youth member, British Youth Council (BYC)
Carlos Alves Pereira, Governing Board, Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth
Discussion
Concluding remarks
Gerhard Ermischer, President of the Conference of INGOs
Ambassador Christian Meuwly, Chair of the GR-J