Young people’s empowerment will top the agenda at EU Youth Conference

This week (16th-17th September) the European Steering Committee of the Structured Dialogue on Youth held a meeting in Rome to prepare for the EU Youth Conference, which will take place in Rome on 13th – 15th October.

Delegates from the European Youth Forum, as well as from ministries, agencies and youth councils for the trio-presidency countries (Italy, Latvia and Luxembourg), as well as the European Commission set the agenda for this important conference, which will focus on the empowerment of young people so that that they can access their rights and fully participate in political life.

The EU Youth Conference is a milestone moment in the six-month Italian presidency of the European Council. It is also a critical point in the process known as the structured dialogue. This is a process that enables young people to contribute to shaping the policies that affect them. The EU Youth Conference will see 150 young people from all over Europe meet, debate and discuss the key issues that effect their day to day lives with high-profile representatives of the national governments.

As the first of the trio presidency, this youth conference marks the start of a new structured dialogue format where, over 18 months, national working groups and international non-governmental youth organisations will be consulted, high level politicians will debate and policy recommendations will be developed jointly by young people and policy makers, in order to be adopted and implemented at European and/or national level.

For more information on the EU Youth Conference see here.