Ministers' Deputies
CM Documents



689 Meeting, 24 [-25] November 1999
8 Youth

8.2 Joint Council
Work priorities, objectives and action for the youth sector 2000 – 2002

CM(99)153 27 October 1999

The present document is the result of the common position developed by the Joint Council on Youth Questions on the priorities, objectives and budget envelopes for the Youth Sector, in accordance with the terms of reference of this Body.

It should be understood that, in the Joint Council's opinion, the following priorities are not exclusive. They are the expression of a political will to put special emphasis on a limited number of recognised issues of the utmost importance, without denying the relevance of other issues and actions in which this sector is currently involved.

The following proposal concerning priorities and objectives should, in the Joint Council's opinion be established for a period of at least 3 years, in order to ensure adequate results. At the end of this reference period, a proper evaluation and report of what has been achieved will be carried out with a view to identifying whether these priorities and objectives, or part of them, need to be further implemented or whether changes have to be introduced in this respect.

The Joint Council also underlined that it was important that the other sectors of the Council of Europe and relevant external partners be involved in the Youth Directorate's actions whenever possible and that the use of the Youth Directorate's resources be consistent with the priorities and objectives set-out.

Finally, the Joint Council agreed that special attention should continue to be paid to the intercultural learning dimension of all activities undertaken in the framework of the present document, making use of the concepts and methods which have been developed through the Youth Sector's activities in this field.

Having regard to:

- the priorities set in Resolution (98) 6 adopted by the Committee of Ministers on the Council of Europe youth policy, and the priorities established by the Joint Council on Youth Questions at their first meeting (15-18 March 1999);

- the results of the Joint Bureaux meeting (14 June 1999);

- the results of the first meeting of the Programming Committee (15-16 June 1999);

- recent developments in South-East Europe;

- the anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights;

the Youth Sector should focus in particular on the following priorities:

• Non-formal education

• Youth participation

• Stability in South East Europe

• Human Rights

- to understand the role of non-formal education towards social integration;

- to develop instruments and policies on non-formal education as a tool to improve social integration of young people (for example, develop a Recommendation on non-formal education);

- to promote innovative methods of non-formal education such as mediation, methods of conflict resolution, etc., for the fight against intolerance and violence;

- to gather the experience of non-governmental youth organisations and networks in the field of non-formal education as a tool to improve social integration of young people;

- to deepen the co-operation between the sector of formal education and the sector of non-formal education.

- organise a seminar on non-formal education and social integration in 2000, with a view to understanding the role of non-formal education towards social integration (Youth and Sport Directorate/Directorate of Education/Directorate of Culture/Directorate of Social Affairs);

- identify study sessions implemented within the framework of the European Youth Centres, projects supported by the European Youth Foundation and the Mobility Fund for Disadvantaged Young People (Inter Rail Fund) which help to understand how the work carried out by youth organisations and networks may contribute to social integration of young people;

- organise, in 2000, the first meeting of the correspondents of national and regional European Youth Centres in Europe (to be nominated by the governments).

- to promote new forms of youth participation in society, while maintaining support to traditional forms of youth participation;

- to promote the participation of new forms of youth organisations and networks into the Youth Sector's programme, with a view to encouraging the development of associative life in its various forms at local, regional, national and European level;

- to encourage the development of intergovernmental co-operation, with a view to stimulating a balanced development of youth structures in all Member States;

- to promote equality between women and men in the field of participation;

- to promote access of all young people to new technologies and to information which concern them;

- to co-operate with youth organisations in their further promotion of youth participation and of new forms of associative life throughout Europe;

- to give priority to forms of participation which combat social exclusion.

- implement the CDEJ work programme on youth participation (2000);

- organise a round table on new forms of participation (2000);

- provide EYF financial support to projects stemming from a significant number of new organisations and networks;

- establish a system of EYF administrative grants to help new organisations and networks to develop their structure throughout Europe;

- ensure proper participation of new organisations and networks in the training course programme of the EYCs;

- carry-out the EYC annual Long term Training Course with a view to ensuring a good participation of new organisations and networks;

- develop the existing data bank of youth organisations with a view to including new forms of youth organisations;

- implement the review of national youth policies, with a view, in particular, to showing how national governments are promoting new forms of participation and organisation of young people;

- deepen the co-operation within the framework of the Partnership Agreement between the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) and the Council of Europe;

- encourage the work of youth organisations in the promotion of youth participation, through the programme and funding opportunities of the European Youth Centres and the European Youth Foundation respectively.

- to help non-governmental youth organisations and networks to develop concrete projects in the region, in particular in Kosovo;

- to promote intercultural dialogue in the region;

- to develop the knowledge, skills and networks in order to prevent conflicts in other regions;

- to further develop the necessary knowledge, skills and network to act in other possible regional crises throughout Europe (confidence building measures, conflict resolution).

Specific actions:

- invite the monitoring group of the Advisory Council and CDEJ, on the South East stability youth programme, to continue its work with a view, in particular to further developing the aims and long term actions of the Youth Sector regarding this priority;

- organise an orientation and consultation seminar on "Cultural conflicts, Human Rights and Human Dignity", as a means to start the process of providing the right sort of knowledge, assistance and training for the region (2000);

- within the framework of the EYF, implement a programme of pilot projects with a view to providing financial support to youth activities which serve the above-mentioned objectives,

- focus the ADACS youth programme on the above-mentioned objectives;

- produce/translate educational material which is relevant to youth organisations, networks, governments and others involved in the reconstruction of civil society in Kosovo;

- elaborate the 2000 issue of "Youth Trends" on the item of "Ethno-cultural diversity";

- assist the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in establishing a European Youth Centre in Ohrid;

- organise an exhibition in the Council of Europe on the Kosovo projects supported by the EYF in 1999 (beginning of 2000);

- within the framework of the partnership training programme with the European Union, support activities which serve the aims and objectives of the Youth Directorate 's action in the region;

- encourage the participation of young people from South-East Europe into the activities of the European Youth Centres.

- to further develop the skills and knowledge of the Youth Directorate and its partners in Human Rights education;

- to further sharpen the profile of the Youth Directorate in Human Rights education, especially with regard to its programme;

and more specifically:

- to highlight the work of the Youth Directorate and of non-governmental youth organisations in the promotion of Human Rights;

- to develop a methodology of non-formal Human Rights education that can be used by the Youth Directorate and its partners;

- to further increase the quality of Human Rights educational work of the Youth Directorate's partners (publications and training courses).

Specific actions:

- implement a comprehensive programme in connection with the celebrations of the 50^th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (2000);

- organise an activity (training seminar) aiming to further develop the skills and know-how of youth organisations in the field of Human Rights education (2000 or 2001);

- develop a publication (i.e., a resource pack) that makes these skills and this know-how easily accessible.

The Joint Council took note of the draft programme of the intergovernmental programme in the youth field, prepared by the CDEJ.

The Joint Council took note of the draft budget of the European Youth Centres prepared by the Secretariat.

Within the framework of the total amount of expenditure foreseen for the programme of the Centres, the Joint Council agreed on the following programme structure for 2000:

Study sessions: the Joint Council approved the implementation of a programme of 32 to 36 study sessions in co-operation with youth organisations and networks.

Training courses: The Joint Council agreed on the Secretariat proposal to implement the following youth leader training course programme:

- training course on introduction to organising international youth activities;

- training course on introduction to working in international youth structures;

- training course for trainers;

- long-term training course 1999/2000, evaluation phase;

- long-term training course 2000/2001, introduction phase;

- long-term training course on participation and citizenship;

- training course on Euro-Mediterranean co-operation;

- evaluation of the results and impact of the long-term training course programme of the Youth Directorate;

- training of external trainers recruited on an ad hoc basis for specific educational activities carried out within the framework of the EYC educational programme (study sessions, training courses).

Symposium: the Joint Council approved the holding of an enlarged seminar on non-formal education as stipulated under the above Priority N°1 (non-formal education).

Language courses: the Joint Council approved the implementation of the current language course programme of the Youth Directorate (9 courses). Furthermore, the Joint Council agreed that a consultative meeting on language courses should be organised in 2000. This meeting should evaluate the relevance of the Youth directorate language course policy and programme as well as look into the financial implications of this programme.

Research: the Joint Council adopted the programme of research for 2000 as follows:

- training seminar for young researchers;

- publication: collection of research articles from a number of Member States on the subject of youth culture and citizenship;

- 2 expert meetings on the UNESCO project for the re-formulation of youth statistical indicators;

- elaboration of the third report on youth trends in Europe;

- maintenance and enlargement of the European Youth Research Bibliography database

- seventh meeting of the National Youth Research Correspondents.

Publications: in addition to the publications listed under the research programme, the Joint Council adopted the 2000 programme of the Youth Directorate publications as follows:

- Executive summary of the 1999 youth trends report "Vulnerable trajectories in education, employment and leisure". A presentation of the main findings of the report to the attention of policy-makers and field actors;

- The international report on the Dutch, Spanish and Swedish national youth policy reviews,

- "Youth participation in the new Member States". A research project carried out within the framework of the CDEJ working group on youth participation and democratic citizenship

- a compilation of different legal instruments of the Council of Europe concerning the Rights of young people;

- "The beauty of the world". Report of a training course for minority youth leaders;

- "Navigare necesse est". Report of a long-term training course on social exclusion;

- Production of document folders to distribute to participants in EYC activities and for representative purposes.

In addition, the Joint Council approved the Secretariat proposal to produce new information material concerning the European Youth Foundation and the Inter Rail Fund (with the financial support of the EYF).

The Joint Council agreed:

- to allocate a total amount of 152 450 EURO from the EYF budget in order to provide financial support to a programme of pilot projects aiming to contribute in particular to the objectives set out under priority N°3, Stability in South-East Europe;

- to allocate a total amount of up to 30 500 EURO from the EYF budget in order to provide financial support for the administration of newly established youth organisations and networks, with a view to helping them to develop their structure and activities at European level. This amount should be provided in addition to the financial support for the administration of well established youth organisations as proposed in the draft EYF budget.

III. MANDATE FOR THE PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE

The Joint Council agreed to ask the Programming Committee to finalise the programme of the European Youth Centres (in particular with regard to the study session and training programme) and the programme of the European Youth Foundation for 2000, taking into account the above priorities and the relevant specific actions attached to these priorities and within the limit of the budgets which will be adopted by the Committee of Ministers.