The Joint Council on Youth of the Council of Europe (CMJ) is currently meeting in Budapest for their 36th meeting. The CMJ has the important function of gathering young leaders from youth NGOs and Ministers of the countries part of the Council of Europe in a system of co-management, where they take decisions together on sensitive issues for youth policy. The meeting has already seen an important development, with the CMJ approving the final draft of the Recommendation of the Commitee of Ministers to member States on Youth work, after a year-long drafting process. Also, negotiations are under way to start the drafting of a Recommendation of the Committe of Ministers to member States on Young refugees transition to adulthood.
Other highlights have involved approved working measures on Guidelines on integrating and mainstreaming gender equality in intercultural youth activities of the Council of Europe and its partners; taken note of a a study on new and innovative forms of youth participation in decision-making processes; also highlighted the importance of youth representation in the implementation of the Framework for Democratic Culture and Intercultural Dialogue.
Tinna Rós Steinsdóttir is a YMCA Europe representative within the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe, and therefore the CMJ. She is also member of YMCA Europe’s Youth Policy Group (YPG). Her two year mandate finishes at the end of 2017 and YMCA Europe has a candidate, Martina Vitezova, for the 2018-2019 mandate. Martina will stand for election within the European Youth Forum (YFJ) in April.