The Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth meets in Budapest.

From 24th to 26th March, the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council on Youth gathered in Budapest for the first meeting of its new composition, elected for a two year mandate. The Advisory Council on Youth is made up of 30 representatives from youth NGOs and networks who provide opinions and input on all youth related processes in the Council of Europe.

During this meeting, the members elected their new chairman, Paulo Pinheiro, from the Portuguese National Youth Council. As the Council of Europe’s work is based on co-management, the meeting was also the time to elect the new chairperson of the European Steering Committee for Youth (that brings together government representatives): Laurence Hermand, from the Belgian French-speaking Youth ministry. These two bodies together form the Joint Council on Youth.

The Advisory Council and the European Steering Committee on Youth will together set the priorities for the youth sector and make recommendations for future budgets and programmes of activities implemented by the Youth Department.

More specifically, following several years of joint efforts from the European Youth Forum and the Advisory Council, the Joint Council on Youth will draft together Committee of Ministers Recommendations on young people's access to fundamental rights. Still in the frame of the co-management, the Advisory Council and the European Steering Committee on Youth are also expected to work towards Committee of Ministers’ Recommendations on the recognition of non formal education and on the further development of the No Hate Speech Movement.

The European Youth Forum wishes all the best to the statutory bodies in ensuring a strong voice for youth and youth policy in Europe's House of Rights!

Read more: The Council of Europe and Youth

The No Hate Speech Movement