Strasbourg, 19 October 2022                                                                                CDBIO(2022)21

STEERING COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

IN THE FIELDS OF BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTH

(CDBIO)

PILOT YOUTH FORUM ON BIOETHICS

CONCEPT AND ROADMAP

Prepared by the Preparatory group

“Hosting a Youth Forum for Bioethics to provide young people with an opportunity to share their views on bioethical topics and to inform the work of the Committee on Bioethics[1]. As a way to bring the voice of European youth into bioethics discussions at the Council of Europe, the Committee on Bioethics intends to host a Youth Forum. The Forum should provide a space for younger people to interact with the Committee on Bioethics and to provide input on bioethical issues, thereby empowering them to represent and advocate their needs and interests. Moreover, it will provide the Committee on Bioethics with valuable insights from younger people to inform its own work. The Youth Forum should, where appropriate, act as a model that could be used in the future.” Strategic Action Plan on Human Rights and Technologies in Biomedicine (2020-2025)

Introduction and background

The Council of Europe aims to protect human dignity and the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual regarding the application of biology and medicine. This includes a pressing need to embed human rights in technologies which have an application in the field of biomedicine.

This is one of the specific objectives of the Strategic Action Plan on Human Rights and Technologies in Biomedicine (2020-2025) of the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the fields of Biomedicine and Health (CDBIO). One of the four pillars around which the Strategic Action Plan is articulated is Communication and co-operation with others, including young people, as an opportunity to raise awareness of human rights principles relating to health and to discuss the human rights challenges raised by developments in the field of biomedicine.

Under this pillar, the CDBIO is to host a youth forum on bioethics to reflect on the needs, interests and stakes for young people and, take them into account when considering human rights challenges in the fields of biomedicine and health.

Pilot Youth Forum – Ireland

Thanks to a voluntary contribution made by Ireland, and in the light of Ireland’s tradition of citizen assemblies and participative dialogue, a pilot youth forum on bioethics will provide an opportunity to hear the voices of a group of young people from Ireland.

The pilot youth forum, to be organised by the CDBIO, aims to provide the Committee with valuable insights from a diverse group of young people to inform its own work, including its strategic objectives and actions in the field of human rights and biomedicine.

The objective of the pilot forum is to bring together CDBIO delegates and a group of young people to share information, knowledge and views on bioethical topics. It is an opportunity to include and engage them in an intergovernmental setting so that they express themselves and dialogue with CDBIO delegations. Their perspectives will be acknowledged and taken into account by the Committee in shaping its future activities. The pilot will also allow the CDBIO to develop its reflection on the future engagement and consultation of young people in its work.    

Development and organisation of the pilot forum

The CDBIO Bureau will create a preparatory group to work closely with the Secretariat to assist the designated youth participants.

The responsibilities and expectations regarding the pilot forum – for youth participants and CDBIO members alike – are to be made clear from the outset, especially as regards the selection of topics and the modalities for dialogue during the CDBIO plenary. These responsibilities and expectations include the following actions (see Appendix):

►   Presentation and discussion of concept note to CDBIO.

►   Meetings with youth participants to explore and select bioethical topic(s).

►   Clear and understandable expert briefings are prepared.

►   A specific bioethical topic is chosen and communicated, with information provided on the topic chosen and modalities for its discussion. 

Pilot forum, Strasbourg, 5-6 June 2023

The youth participants will travel to Strasbourg to prepare for, and then exchange with, CDBIO delegations:

►   On the first day, youth participants - assisted by experts and a moderator – will deliberate and prepare for exchanges with the CDBIO.

►   On the second day, in the framework of the CDBIO plenary, a dedicated session between youth participants and CDBIO delegations will take place, during which:

o   Youth participants will present the results of their deliberations on the chosen topic (i.e., views, suggestions, etc).

o   CDBIO delegations will actively listen and exchange views on the topic (e.g., issues, stakes etc) and openly consider how these exchanges can inform their work.

o   Youth participants and CDBIO delegations provide feedback on their experiences in preparing for and participating in the pilot forum.

APPENDIX – Process milestones, objectives and actions

Pilot youth forum on bioethics
Milestones	Objectives	Actions
Information and discussion of the concept note for the pilot forum	CDBIO agreement on the concept note	CDBIO is informed about the initiative for the pilot forum CDBIO takes note of the planned development and organisation of the pilot forum CDBIO exchanges views and makes suggestions on bioethical topics to be considered by the youth participants
Recruitment	Recruitment of young people	Expressions of interest sought from young people with a view to selecting and designating approx. 12-25
Youth online preparation meeting	Framing and key elements of the pilot forum – online event	Online event between designated youth participants and members of the preparatory group, to inform and exchange information and views on bioethical topics
Youth face-to-face preparation meeting	Consultation and exchanges on the pilot forum – meeting in Dublin	Preparatory meeting between designated youth participants and members of the preparatory group to inform, support and facilitate views and interests on the selected topic to be chosen and the modalities for its discussion in plenary
Bioethical topic chosen by youth participants and modalities for its discussion in plenary are developed	Bioethical topic is chosen and communicated Modalities for discussion in plenary are developed	Youth participants and CDBIO delegations are informed of the topic chosen and invited to prepare for discussion on it Modalities for discussion of the topic are developed, with reference to the responsibilities and expectations of both youth participants and CDBIO delegations
Youth preparation meeting in Strasbourg & face-to-face meeting with CDBIO delegations in plenary session	Forum, held over 2 days, back-to-back with a half-full day session overlapping with the plenary of the CDBIO (2023) – meeting in Strasbourg	Two-day meeting for youth participants to make final preparations and to present and exchange with CDBIO delegations in plenary session