Youth policy co-operation
The process of youth policy co-operation has inter alia significantly contributed to the recognition that co-operation among institutions responsible for youth policy (public and private) is essential to intercultural dialogue and to the Euro-Med projects in which young people take part.
Youth policy activities have also, undoubtedly, resulted in an expansion of partnerships and co-operation with a variety of institutions concerned by the empowerment of young people in the MENA region, including the League of Arab States, UNFPA, the World Bank and British Council. In this respect, too, the EU-CoE youth partnership is playing a leading and innovative role.
In reaction to the political changes in their Southern neighbouring countries, both, the European Union and the Council of Europe are strengthening their efforts to support these developments towards democracy. Young people in Egypt, Tunisia and other parts of the South-Mediterranean hold the key to the sustainable and peaceful development of their societies based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Understanding and taking into account their expectations and needs is crucial for all the institutional stakeholders, such as the League of Arab States, national youth policy authorities and youth organisations. The experience of young people from the Diasporas in Europe and their role in and perception of recent developments can also positively contribute to this process.
Second international round table 'Youth Policy Co-operation in the Broader Euro-Mediterranean Context', April 2009, Hungary
22 - 23 April 2009, European Youth Centre Budapest
Besides being seen as an opportunity to share progress and projects among different stakeholders in the region since the first one was organised three years earlier, the second round-table pursued the following objectives:
- To exchange information regarding the ongoing and planned youth policy projects and programmes of the participating organisations and countries;
- To analyse commonalities, specificities and complementarities between the actions and approaches of the participants and their institutions;
- To discuss the priority youth issues in the broader Euro-Mediterranean region and the youth policy responses to them;
- To explore the possibilities of coordination between the partners and to identify the priorities for Euro-Arab and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the youth policy field;
- To support intercultural dialogue among youth policy actors from the European, Mediterranean and Arab regions.
Report of the round-table by Asuman Göksel (consultant)
Agenda
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
09:30 Opening of the round table, by:
- Mr Khaled Louhichi, Director of the Polulation Policy and Migration Department, League of Arab States
- Mr Hans-Joachim Schild, Coordinator of the Partnership on Youth between the Council of Europe and the European Commission
09:50 Round of introduction of the participants and the organisations represented
10:00 Introduction to the background, aims and objectives of the meeting, by Mr Rui Gomes, Head of Education and Training Unit of the Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe
10:10 Presentation of the conclusions of the Survey on the evaluation and follow-up of the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Policy activities, organised in the framework of the Youth Partnership, by Mr Ayman Abdul Majeed
10:30 Principles and objectives of the youth policy in the Council of Europe and in the Youth Partnership, by Ms Miriam Teuma
11:30 Exchange of views on existing projects and programmes relating to the youth policy development in the Euro-Mediterranean framework (each organisation represented had 15 minutes to present an outline of their objectives and projects relating to youth policy):
- League of Arab States, Ms Elham A. Alshejni
- Anna Lindh Foundation, Ms Vera Cerbara
- Biblioteca Alexandrina, Ms Inas Abdelatif
- Salto Euromed Resource Centre, Mr Bernard Abrignani
- Euro-Med Youth Platform, Ms Amanda Zammit
14:30 Exchange continued with:
- European Youth Forum, Mr Giuseppe Porcaro
- Council of Europe
- The North-South Centre, Mr Marcos Andrade
- Directorate of Youth and Sport, Mr Rui Gomes
- International Federation for Family Planning, Ms Catherine Nemr/Dr Mohamed Kamal
- Partnership on Youth Council of Europe – European Commission, Mr Hans-Joachim Schild /Mr Rui Gomes
- UNFPA, Mr Robert Thomson
16:30 Youth Policy studies in the Euro-Med Youth Programme framework, introduction by Mr Bernard Abrignani and Ms Asuman Goksel
17:00 Working session on youth participation, together with the participants of the Training Course for Youth Leaders "Youth Participation and Intercultural Dialogue for Euro-Arab Youth Cooperation"
19:30 Dinner and boat trip on Danube together with the participants of the Training Course for Youth Leaders "Youth Participation and Intercultural Dialogue for Euro-Arab Youth Cooperation"
Thursday, 23 April 2009
09:30 Opening of the day
09:45 Working groups on the perspectives and priorities for future co-operation
11:45 Reports from the working groups
12:15 Priorities and approaches for follow-up
12:30 Conclusions by the chairs
12:50 Evaluation
13:00 Closing of the meeting
- Mapping of activities related to youth and Arab Spring
- Survey on the evaluation and follow-up of the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Policy Cooperation activities by Ayman Abdul Majeed and Dua'a Qurie (consultants)