Youth Action Week at the Council of Europe

29-06-2022

Manon Picard

International Justice and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

The Youth Action Week at the Council of Europe started on the 27th of June 2022 and will end on the 1st of July 2022. The Youth Action Week is part of the Council of Europe’s Democracy Here | Democracy Now campaign and is organised by the Irish Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The aim of the Youth Action Week is to bring

“together activists, civil society, member States and partners of the youth sector to strengthen the youth campaign for revitalising democracy and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the youth sector of the Council of Europe”. 

A day-by-day programme is available on the following link with the list of participants, the workshops undertaken during the week, as well as the objectives of the Youth Action Week. The overall outcome of the event is to call for action. Specifically, the Council of Europe aims for the week to: 

“result in proposals for action at local, national and international level in the framework of the Democracy Here | Democracy Now youth campaign, including recommendations addressed to stakeholders aiming to revitalise democracy and support the meaningful participation of young people in democratic processes and institutions”.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić gave a speech at the Opening event and “called on young people to remain engaged in revitalising democracy and in addressing the emerging threats to human rights, democracy and the rule of law”. The Secretary General stated that any recommendations will be heard especially in times where “the return of the populism and nationalism on our continent” threatens to silence our voices. Marija Pejčinović Burić emphasised on the need to participate in democratic processes, the need to include young people as advocates of democracy and the essential role of the Democracy Here | Democracy Now campaign. 

Sources and further reading:

Council of Europe. (2022, June 28). Young people should stand up against populism, nationalism and extremism that risk silencing their voices, says Secretary General. Newsroom – Council of Europe. Retrieved on June 29, 2022, from https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/young-people-should-stand-up-against-populism-nationalism-and-extremism-that-risk-silencing-their-voices-says-secretary-general

Secretary General of the Council of Europe. (2022, June 28). Speeches 2022 - Council of Europe Youth Action Week "Democracy Now". Secretary General Speeches. Retrieved on June 29, 2022, from https://go.coe.int/bIn5n

Council of Europe. (2022, June 28). Youth Action Week. https://www.coe.int/en/web/democracy-here-now/democracy-action-week