The event will focus on the engagement of young people in politics and elections and  take place in the European Youth Centre Strasbourg on 24 -27 June 2024. Organised in parallel with the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the seminar brings together 40 representatives of youth branches of political parties, national youth councils and other youth civil society actors with a view to support young people’s empowerment and participation in the democratic life at local, national, and European level. In the context of a super elections year at global level, the participants will discuss the challenges young people face.

Organised in the framework of the project Youth revitalising democracy led by the Youth Department, the seminar aims at strengthening processes of revitalising democracy through youth participation and agency, directly responding to the priorities set by the Reykjavik Summit of Heads of State and Governments. It builds on the youth campaign Democracy Here | Democracy Now and its follow-up. The campaign Call for Action 50 proposals aim to revitalise democracy to be implemented by youth civil society and member states of the Council of Europe.

The youth event Confidence in Tomorrow, organised as part of Liechtenstein’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers and of the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, was held at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg from 14 to 16 May. This gathering showcased the leadership and vision of young Europeans, whose active participation inspires profoundly all of us. The event underscored the crucial role of young representatives in steering our democratic institutions towards a vibrant future.

Participants’ ideas and aspirations were summarised in a clear message to Council of Europe. More than a call to action, more than mere words, this message was presented to participants as a tool to promote the values of democracy and human rights. The message stresses that to prepare for a future of confidence, young people need actions and partnerships today.

The World Forum for Democracy is a unique platform for political decision-makers and activists to debate solutions to key challenges for democracies worldwide. The theme of the 2024 edition of the World Forum for Democracy is  “Democracy and diversity: Can we transcend the divides?”

The 2024 edition of the WFD will address the threats posed by disinformation and divisive political narratives around diversity, including in the context of election campaigns. The Forum will focus on how electoral processes crystallise societal divides and provide fertile ground for populism to flourish. In light of the urgency of this challenge, the Forum will explore ways of raising understanding among citizens of the risks posed by populism for their fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Call for applications to join the Youth delegation to the World Forum of Democracy 2024 is now open. The deadline to apply is Sunday 30 June 2024.

The Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation carried out a training course on project management for international youth organisations on 20-24 May 2024. Thirty-three participants from thirty-one different youth organisations and networks took part in this activity.

The main take aways from the course concern the value of youth organisations as safe spaces for young people, the evolving need for flexibility in grant management that youth organisations expect from the EYF, as well as the need for continuous skill development of young people with project management roles in youth organisations.

The first national training course in 2024, titled "Participation Matters!", took place from 27 to 31 May at Espai Jovent d’Escaldes-Engordany (Andorra). This training course is organised by the Citizenship and Youth Department of the Escaldes-Engordany City Council in cooperation with the Youth Department of the Council of Europe.

The activity equipped participants with the skills needed for human rights education and youth work, focusing on planning, designing, and implementing actions to promote fundamental rights and active participation at the local level. The participants are youth workers, youth councillors of elected members of city councils, and public servants responsible for youth policy in Andorra.

The seminar took place in Podgorica, Montenegro on 29-31 May 2024, organised by the Partial Agreement on Youth Mobility through the Youth Card and the European Youth Card Association (EYCA). The event was opened by the Vice President of the Government of Montenegro for Demography and Youth and the Minister of Sports and Youth Dragoslav Šćekić, the head of the OSCE Mission in Montenegro Dominik Vag and the administrator of the Partial agreement on youth mobility in the Youth Department of the Council of Europe Natalja Turenne, together with Manel Sánchez, director of the European youth card association (EYCA) and Jugoslav Radović, executive director of the NGO Centre for Youth Education.

The European Youth Card can play a strategic role in helping design and strengthen youth ecosystems. Over fifty participants from various backgrounds (policy-makers, practitioners, EYCA organisations, relevant youth NGOs) discussed ways to create synergies between public sector, youth card organisations, NGOs, young people and companies in order to advance youth ecosystems (spaces, services, programmes) and make the best use of the European Youth Card to play an effective role in youth ecosystems at national and local levels.

On 7 May, the Youth Department, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry for Youth and Sport organised in Kyiv a round table “Youth, Ukraine, Europe: Resilience, Reconstruction, Recovery” to mark the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe. The event brought together members of the Verkhovna Rada, competent ministries, youth representatives, and youth organisations, as well as Council of Europe member states and international partners.

The reconstruction of Ukraine will be a generational task, to be mastered to a large extent by young people. It is essential to ensure that young people’s vital contribution to safeguard democracy, the rule of law, and human rights does result in real participation in decision-making processes.

The round table served as platform to mainstream youth perspectives in the context of Ukraine’s recovery efforts and to support authorities in developing comprehensive policies for young people in Ukraine today and after the end of the war.

The Youth department partner ERYICA held from 22-25 May 2024 its 35th General Assembly in Bucharest, Romania, marking a significant occasion to engage with its members and delve into pivotal topics impacting youth work and its network. The GA welcomed over 190 participants who engaged with crucial themes such as democracy, elections, youth participation, and artificial intelligence.

Several expert speakers addressed the GA, such as Virgil Spiridon (Cybercrime, Council of Europe), Arianna Sala (Joint Research Centre), and Irina Buzu (Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Council of Europe), who shared their insights on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, alongside with key stakeholders such as Tobias Flessenkemper (Head of the Council of Europe Youth Department) and Mathieu Orphanides (European Commission) who discussed the state of the art of youth information in the European sphere.