Youth policies and strategies in the context of the MDGs

Sub-Regional Workshop for the Gulf states

Models of youth political participation Comparative European perspectives

by Åsa Bjering

Youth, Governance and freedoms in the Arab States

Rabbat 6-8 July 2005

Åsa BjeringPresident of the

National Council of Swedish youth organisations

Former experience

2003 Included as an expert in the redoing of Swedish Youth Policy

2001 - Part of the Swedish National Commission of UNESCO.

2001 vice President of LSU

2000 Coordinator of the Swedish delegation to the NGO Summit of the UN

1999 – 2001 vice president of the Peaceorganisation PeaceQuest

1999 The Swedish Youth Delegate to the UN General Assembly

1997-99 vice president of the National Association of Swedish pupils councils

The National Council of Swedish Youth organisations

Is the coordinating body for 100 Swedish non-governmental youth organisations working in cooperation with 14 similar networks in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa

1. Knowledge center2. Meeting place3. Voice

– Party political youth organisations

– Student movements– Religious youth

organisations– Environmentalists– Ethnical youth

organisations– Youth organisations for

culture, science, soberness and more…

The National Council of Swedish Youth organisations

• Lobbying/advocacy: on youth issues

- National youth policy- Conditions for youth

organisations- Common issues – i.e.

Sustainable development; discrimination, formal and non-formal education etc…

• Capacity building: leadership and organisational development

- How to run the organisation democratically

- How to work with female leaders within the organisation

- How to be accountable towards funders etc…

Defining Youth Organisations

UN World Youth Report

“Firstly youth organisations can be differentiated according to the participation level. There are different levels of participation. The higher the level of participation, the more control influence and responsibility young people will have on the outcomes. There is a difference between ad-hoc and structural participation. Ad-hoc refers to participation in a certain project or conference, while structural participation signifies a more continuous involvement, over a longer period of time. There is also a difference between direct and indirect participation. Direct participation implies direct contact with the decision making person or body. Indirect participation refers to having one’s opinion represented by someone else, for example a youth council or a youth worker. Young people can decide themselves on which level, and in what ways, to participate, although the choice will probably be dependent on the willingness of the organisation and its representatives to listen to youth.”

Four important perspectives when discussing youth participation

• Young people are a resource

• Young people have rights

• Young people´s independence and self-reliance must be supported

• Young people are different from one another

Youth and MDG

ja

Youth and Agenda 21youth organisations and political

participation1992-1995Global lobbying

Information campaign in schools

Presure towards local municipalities

National lobbying

2002 - 2005Information campaign within organisations

Information campaign in schools

Presure towards local municipalities

National lobbying

Action based on information and lobbying campaigns

National Youth Council

NationalInstitutions

National council of youth organisations and political participation within a national

process

Action based on:1. Consultation2. Proposal

•LSU also formed a “action network” consisting of representatives from youth NGOs that took a very active role in formulating the policy and reported back to LSU.

LSU arranged several hearings and workshops were the National Board of Youth affairs, Minister of youth Affairs participated, in a dialog with representatives from 70 national youth organisations.

Evaluation on the Consultative Model

– The priorities of the decision makers in the youth field could not be influenced by the CM till the changes

– The balance between the power of the decision makers and effectiveness of the CM must be reassessed

– The CM must lead to effective action at Local/ State level, in particular in order to continue to guarantee young people’s support for and commitment to the process

– Young people should be consulted constantly, in a structured and effective way

2) European level

First Model:

Open method of Coordinationand the experience of the European Youth Forum

(www.youthforum.org)

What is the EYF?

• A pan-European platform of national Youth councils and Non-Governmental youth Organisations in Europe

• Established in 1996

• 93 member organisations

• Advocating for the interests of young people towards the international institutions (European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations)

• Promoting the development of youth work in Europe and internationally

• Providing services to member organisations

G e n e ra l A sse m b ly(m e e ts e ve ry 2 ye a rs)

B u re au(1 2 e le cte d vo lun te e rs)

C o u n c il o f M e m b e rs(m e e ts tw ice a ye a r)

9 3 M e m be r O rg an isa tio nsIN G Y O s

N Y C s

SecretariatWorking Units

Council of EuropeAffairs Commission

European Union AffairsCommission

European Youth Forum

What makes EYF different from other organisations?

• The European Youth Forum is the only democratic youth structure in Europe representing youth organisations towards the international institutions - mainly the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations

• It serves to channel the flow of information and opinions between young people and decision-makers

• It is the biggest regional youth platform in the world• It is run by young people

European Youth Forum Actions

• Lobby the European Institutions• Participate in the consultations on the draft common

objectives, the questionnaires and the evaluation report

• Draft EYF positions after consultation of Member Organisations on the common objectives

• Regular meetings with the institutions (+ letters, articles and press releases)

Horizontal Aspects

Taking more account of youth in other policies:– inclusion of youth dimension in other policies and

programmes on national and European level– explore ways in which young people can be taken

into consideration in EU Commission proposals and EU Community programmes and initiatives

– education, lifelong learning, mobility, employment and social integration, combating racism and xenophobia, autonomy

Open Method of Coordination

Since 2001 on the Youth Policy

E Y Fp ro p o sa ls

O p e n m e tho d co o rd in a tion(co n su lta tio n )

E U C o m m iss io np ro p o sa ls

E U S ta tesN a tio n a l Y o u th p o lic y d e c is ion

Open Method of Coordination

4 thematic priorities

– Participation

– Information

– Voluntary activities among young people

– Greater understanding and knowledge of youth

Consultation

European Youth Forum isconsulted on the differentstages:

- The formulation of the questionnaires

- Drafts for common objectives in each priority area

- Evaluation report of the OMC

Evaluation on the OMC

– The priorities of the framework of European cooperation in the youth field must be discussed (reinforcing existing priorities, new priorities, etc.)

– The balance between the flexibility and effectiveness of the OMC must be reassessed

– The OMC must lead to effective action at Member State level, in particular in order to continue to guarantee young people’s support for and commitment to the process

– Young people should be consulted constantly, in a structured and effective way at both national and European level

2) European level

Second Model:

Co-Management Systemand the experience of the Council of Europe

(www.coe.int)

Key values and work fields of the Council of Europe

Democratic ideals and standards

European Cultural identity

Cooperation on relevant issues for societies

Universality of Human Rights

TThhee CCoouunncciill ooff EEuurrooppee''ss MMeemmbbeerr SSttaatteess Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia

Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russian Federation San Marino Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland the "former Yugoslav

Republic of Macedonia"

Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom

The Special Guests to the Parliamentary Assembly Serbia and

Montenegro*

Members of the European Cultural Convention (non member CoE states) Belarus

Holy See

Monaco

Serbia and Montenegro*

* accepted on 03.04.2003

European Court of Human Rights

(45 judges)Secretariat General

Key bodies of the Council of EuropeKey bodies of the Council of Europe

Parliamentary Assembly(45 National parliaments)

National National ParliamentsParliaments

CLRAE(The Congress of

Local and Regional Authorities of Europe)

Local and Regional Local and Regional AuthoritiesAuthorities

Committee of Ministers

(45 Ministers of Foreign Affairs)

National National GovernmentsGovernments

Abridged Council of Europe’s Secretariat

Secretary General (Terry Davis)

DG Political Affairs

DG I Legal

Affairs

DG II Human Rights

DG III Social

Cohesion

DG IV Education

Culture YYoouutthh SSppoorrtt

DG Administration

& Logistics

Anti-Doping & Spectator

Violence

CoE & Y outh WWee aarree

hheerree!!

CoE Secretariat

Co-management structures of the

Directorate of Youth and Sport

JOINT COUNCIL on YOUTH QUESTIONS

AC + CDEJ

Programming CommitteeYoung

people

Youth NGOs

ADVISORY COUNCIL

30 Non governmental representatives

Committee of Ministers

Ministriesof Youth

Governments

CDEJ48 Non governmental

representatives

Committee of

Ministers

Committee of

Ministers

Intergovernmental sector

European Steering Committee on Youth, CDEJ, 47 members, The Contracting Parties to the Cultural Convention

European Steering Committee on Youth, CDEJ, 47 members, The Contracting Parties to the Cultural Convention

Working GroupsWorking Groups

Non-Formal Education and Social cohesion

Non-Formal Education and Social cohesion

Youth participation and active democratic citizenship

Youth participation and active democratic citizenship

Partial agreement on the Youth Card

Partial agreement on the Youth Card

Non-governmental sector

Advisory Council, AC30 members

Advisory Council, AC30 members

7 national youth committees

7 national youth committees

13 international non-governmental youth organisationsYouth Forum

13 international non-governmental youth organisationsYouth Forum

5 other structures5 other structures

Programming Committee8 CDEJ & 8 AC

Programming Committee8 CDEJ & 8 AC

Activities / Servicesfor leaders in

youth organisations

Activities / Servicesfor leaders in

youth organisations

Co-managed sector

Joint Council on Youth Questions

Joint Council on Youth QuestionsEuropean

Youth Foundation

European Youth Foundation

European Youth Centres

European Youth Centres

5 international non-governmental youth organisationsNon-Youth Forum

5 international non-governmental youth organisationsNon-Youth Forum

Mobility Fund for Disadvantaged Young People

Mobility Fund for Disadvantaged Young People

Study sessionsLanguage coursesTraining coursesSymposia Consultative meetings Documentation & research

Structures

Intergovernmental sector

European SteeringCommittee for Youth (CDEJ)

48 members

Co-managed sector

Joint Council on Youth Questions

(JC)

78 members

Non-governmental sector

Advisory Council (AC)

30 members

Programming Committee

(PC)

16 members

Working Priorities of the DJS 2003- 2005

Human rights education and Social cohesion

Peace and Intercultural dialogue

YouthParticipation

Evaluation on Co-Management System

– The political and economical possibilities of the CoE are limited in order to intervene with a wider range of tools on the youth conditions

– The balance between the flexibility and effectiveness of the CMS must be reassessed

– The CMS must lead to effective action at the Member State level, in particular in order to continue to guarantee young people’s support for and commitment to the process

The un-formal education

International Youth CooperationICMYO

The call for help

Action to:

o exchange information, experience and concerns

o influence political processes and decisions of international institutions working/impacting on youth

o increase cooperation at the regional level in order to

be stronger and overcome individual limitations

o work together on common thematic priorities and to

put focus on global youth work

pe

ICMYO

Global action

UNAgencies

RegionalInstitutions

Reg/Globalyouth

platform

MDG

Thank you for your attention!