This year’s edition marked a key milestone in the consultation process for the New Democratic Pact for Europe, a Council of Europe initiative aimed at strengthening democratic foundations and making democracy more inclusive, participatory and responsive to people’s needs. Focusing on democratic foresight, the World Forum encouraged participants to look beyond immediate threats and consider the choices that can help secure democracy in the long term.

Young people are essential partners in this reflection. The Council of Europe’s Youth Department has brought together a delegation of around 50 young people from across the world to contribute their perspectives, experiences and proposals to the World Forum and the wider consultation on the New Democratic Pact for Europe.

How can young people help revitalise democracy? This question was at the heart of Think globally, act locally!, the Youth Day organised by the Council of Europe’s Youth Department on 4 November at the European Youth Centre Strasbourg, following the World Forum for Democracy.

Bringing together around 135 young people from diverse backgrounds, the event provided a space for intercultural dialogue and collective reflection on the future of democracy and meaningful youth participation. Participants included members of the World Forum for Democracy youth delegation, young people from Strasbourg and the Grand Est region, and members of the Génération Francophonie delegation, co-ordinated by the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ) with partner organisations in Quebec, Germany and Belgium.

On 9 and 10 November 2026, the Council of Europe will host a European gathering bringing together young people, journalists, social media actors, media experts and institutional representatives to discuss the challenges posed by disinformation and the vital role of journalism in democracy.

How can we distinguish verified information from misleading content in the age of social media, algorithms and artificial intelligence? What role do journalists play in safeguarding democracy? And how can young people contribute to a more resilient society?

These questions lie at the heart of the initiative “Youth facing disinformation – Why journalists matter”, conducted under Monaco’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers as part of the Council of Europe’s campaign for the safety of journalists, Journalists Matter.

CMJ Members discussed and took decisions on several initiatives, including Young people’s democratic participation, Youth perspectives and artificial intelligence, Young people’s rights and inclusion, a common framework to guide future reviews of Committee of Ministers recommendations in the youth field, the European Youth Foundation’s 2027 ad hoc calls for proposals which will prioritise support for young people from Ukraine and young people’s right to participate.

The meeting further addressed the integration of a youth perspective across the Council of Europe, follow-up to the 4th European Youth Work Convention, and preparations for the 11th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Youth, to be held in 2028 and hosted by Luxembourg. Members also welcomed the Manifesto developed by participants at the June 2026 Youth Event of the New Democratic Pact for Europe and considered possible follow-up.

Through the grants provided by the European Youth Foundation, a richness of ideas and proposals emerge and reflect the diversity of the concerns of young people. At the Autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe young people came to advocate and present their perspectives emerging from these initiatives:

- A group of young people from the European Youth Parliament attended a study visit and took part in discussions with MPs to discuss their policy proposals for reconstruction and rebuilding of Ukraine and its EU Accession process.

- Two youth representatives from the Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe and the ReGeneration 2030 NGO took part in the Plenary debate: “Europe, the fastest warming continent” and called on PACE members to accelerate climate action, protect young people’s rights and ensure their voices are heard.

These are just a few examples in which young people’s voices contribute to shape and advance the Council of Europe’s mission.

Ukraine, in co-operation with the Council of Europe, demonstrates significant progress in the implementation of participatory youth policy.

On 22 October 2026 an online presentation of the achievements of the advanced training programme “Participatory Youth Policy” was held. The programme has been implemented in Ukraine for the fourth year and helps civil servants and local self-government officials to promote youth participation in the formation and implementation of youth policy, taking into account the standards and approaches of the Council of Europe.

The presentation was attended by specialists in the field of professional training of civil servants and local self-government officials, representatives of structural units responsible for youth policy, youth councils and youth centres of all levels.

On 30 September – 2 October, the Quality Label’s team of experts visited Braga Youth Centre in Portugal to evaluate the fulfilment of the 15 quality criteria of the Quality Label for Youth Centres which the centre has been holding since 2024.

The visit provided an opportunity for the expert team to meet with the leadership of the Municipality and the staff of the youth centre, in addition to a large number of key stakeholders in the youth field in Braga. The team of experts gained an insight on the current vision and strategic priorities of Braga Youth Centre, the main developments and achievements since the awarding of the label, the upgrades and developments concerning the facilities, and the status of the governance, management, human resources and financial sustainability of the Centre.