The Council of the EU adopted two documents to promote youth participation

The Council adopted Conclusions supporting intergenerational dimension in youth and the Youth Action Plan in EU External action.

The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council and the Foreign Affairs Council met in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday 28-29 November. Ministers from the 27 member states responsible for these agendas met to approve documents presented by the Czech Presidency. 

Council Conclusions on promoting the intergenerational dimension in the youth field to foster dialogue and social cohesion

In the Conclusions, the Member States stress the importance of promoting dialogue both between young people and between young people and older generations, as this linking of experiences and competences of different generations contributes to building peaceful and cohesive societies based on mutual cooperation, respect, empathy, solidarity and understanding of the needs of all age groups. The Conclusions encourage the involvement of young people in an intergenerational dialogue and  solidarity projects, including volunteering, as these enable young people to acquire transversal competences and social skills that they can apply in other areas of their lives. 

The Council thus calls on Member States to raise awareness of intergenerational equity among policy makers and to provide them with the evidence, information, data and other relevant resources needed to strengthen age equality in policy making. In the Conclusions, the Council also calls on the European Commission and the Member States to explore the use of existing tools and mechanisms to promote the integration of the youth perspective into sectoral policies. The European Commission is to promote synergies between youth policy and other policies and programmes relevant to youth and to meet the objectives of the EU Youth Strategy, including objectives 3 "Inclusive society" and 4 "Information and constructive dialogue". Furthermore, the Commission should facilitate the exchange of best practices between Member States in promoting intergenerational dialogue and solidarity, using the European Youth Portal or Youth Wiki tools and programmes and initiatives such as Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps, Creative Europe and the New European Bauhaus. 

Council Conclusions on the Youth Action Plan in EU external action

At the same time, the Foreign Affairs Council endorsed the Conclusions on the Youth Action Plan in EU external action. The Conclusions promote the involvement of young people worldwide in policy-making by increasing their participation and engagement in international fora and allocating the necessary resources to this end. In the Conclusions, the Council recognises the important contribution of youth to the development of a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable future. One of the main points is the protection of young activists and human rights defenders around the world. Moreover, the Council recognises the need to support youth in conflict-affected regions. 

The Conclusions also address the empowerment of young people, especially women and girls. However, this is only possible if young people are equipped with the basic skills necessary to make the transition from school to work. In the Conclusions, the Council also stresses the importance of supporting global efforts for universal health coverage, digital health, while addressing mental health issues among young people. Furthermore, the Council highlights the importance of promoting inclusive mobility of young people worldwide.