In 2005 the EU-CoE youth partnership, together with several national and regional partners, initiated a process of youth policy cooperation in the broader Euro-Mediterranean region, with a view to fostering greater cooperation between youth policy stakeholders.

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.

Back 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

Acknowledging the value and considerations of the first round-table and taking into account the results of an external evaluation carried out by independent experts, the League of Arab States and the Partnership between the Council of Europe and the European Commission in the field of youth have agreed to organise a second round-table on youth policy cooperation, open to international and national, governmental and non-governmental partners active in youth policy development and implementation and interested in sharing experiences and in view of mutual learning and future cooperation. This second round-table on youth policy cooperation took place on 22-23 April 2009 at the European Youth Centre in 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):

 14:30 Exchange continued with:

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