Youth Participation Under Severe Threat in the Council of Europe: We Demand Action!

This year, the Council of Europe celebrated 70 years of work to uphold human rights, rule of law, and the democratic participation of its 47 Member States. On Friday, the Council of Europe’s current Secretary-General Jagland proposed the complete dismantlement of the Council of Europe’s youth sector. The suggested replacement—voluntary cooperation among Member States—entirely undermines the successes and democratic tools the Council of Europe has developed to ensure the participation of young people. This proposal is part of a contingency plan to address the Council of Europe’s economic crisis, as a result of Russia’s refusal to pay its membership fee since 2017, as well as Turkey’s decision to step down as a major donor. To be clear, this crisis is not only a disaster for all young European people, but also threatens the long-term survival of the Council of Europe and Europe’s democratic development. There can be no progress, no future, and no Europe without youth; therefore, we demand that the Member States, led by the Foreign Ministries, defend us!

Thanks to the Council of Europe, hundreds of young peacebuilders have attended our Young Peacebuilders’ Forums, where partnerships among young people have been forged to enhance peacebuilding capacities at the local level.

Thanks to the Council of Europe, we were able to produce the Youth4Peace toolkit, which has reached over 40,000 people, with so many young peacebuilders applying it to their work on the ground.

Thanks to the Council of Europe, we have seen several advocacy successes at the European level, such as the adoption of a PACE motion and EU Council Conclusions to provide policy guidance on UNSCR 2250.

Thanks to the Council of Europe, we have built next generations of young peacebuilders through our training courses on conflict transformation and advocacy.

Put simply, all of this and more would NOT be possible without the support of the Council of Europe.

Yet, applauded for its democratic structure and function, the Council of Europe proposes proportionate cuts to all sectors, except the youth sector, which faces total eradication in its current form. Moreover, the fact that Secretary-General Jagland proposes such a disproportionate budgetary change without having a dialogue with the European youth movement is unacceptable. Finally, a contingency plan decision should only be made after a new Secretary-General has been elected.

UNOY Peacebuilders and the European youth movement strongly oppose the proposal, which violates the hard work that has been done to create such an active and effective youth movement in Europe.

Drawing from the Council of Europe’s core values, democracy must be defended at every given opportunity. In times like these, when civil society’s existence in several places is questioned, we must (i) not allow the marginalisation of young people’s questions, and (ii) continue to strengthen our democratic participation. Young people have, through their voluntary involvement, worked hard to shape our common democratic structure; the Council of Europe’s youth sector is one of the main examples of this. Removing a central platform for young people to defend human rights, counteract shrinking democratic space, and develop sustainable peace in Europe is something that the youth movement will never allow.

Therefore, the Council of Europe Member States and Permanent Representatives need to take active measures to protect the work of the Council of Europe, which is carried out by, for, and with young peacebuilders. Member states must defend the Council of Europe’s youth sector by strongly highlighting the disproportionate cut, finding support from other Member States, and showing that the issues of young people are of the highest priority.

Since its foundation in 1949, the Council of Europe has established the most advanced system for youth participation in the world; the proposed cuts would destroy it. The Council of Europe has invested in, included, and partnered with youth; it must not stop now and undermine the past 70 years. We call on the Council of Europe Member States to prevent this catastrophe, for the generations to come and for us who are struggling here and now.