The Council of Members meeting – European Youth Forum

Between the 12-13 of April 2019, in Brussels, the European Youth Forum (YFJ), held a Council of Members meeting (COMEM). YEE was represented by Masha Dzneladze, YEE’s Secretary General.

During the COMEM the Member Organisations elected and appointed the members to the following bodies: The Council of Europe Advisory Council on Youth – AC (20) and The European Youth Forum Financial Control Commission – FCC (1). We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the appointed members and we look forward to working with them in future.

Members were invited to make decisions on the positions of the Youth Forum, as well as they were presented the activity and financial reports, had a chance to have a discussion with three young candidates for the European Parliamentary Elections – Mina Tolu, from Federation of Young European Greens, Oona Wyns from Young European Socialists (that unfortunately didn’t make it to the debate, but was represented by a colleague) and Katalin Cseh from European Liberal Youth.

In addition, the delegates heard the speech of Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, and of Defence, Didier Reynders, who is a candidate for Secretary General of Council of Europe.

The COMEM is a place for representatives and delegates to raise their voice and concerns on issues facing young people in Europe, through shaping the Youth Forum and topics discussed ranged from climate, peace and security, non-formal education, to the future of work and what it means to be a European youth representative.

During the COMEM a ‘Resolution in support of youth demanding urgent climate action’ was tabled and submitted by YEE with other organisations – FIMCAP, CJ, IYNF, ESU, FYEG and TEJO.

The resolution is an important first step for the European Youth Forum to acknowledge and support the actions of youth and their right to freedom of speech and expression for urgent action on climate change.

Here are extracts from the resolution:

“Expresses its support towards the climate strikers taking part in the Fridays for Future demonstrations and other non violent youth demonstrations, and their calls for urgent action on climate change,

Condemns any attempt to punish the climate strikers for exercising their freedom of assembly and association, as guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights,

Highlights the importance of young people using their right of freedom of speech and expression, which never should be undermined by the governments and educational institutions due to legal frameworks,

Calls upon the European Union and European states to implement concrete, binding and immediate plans not only to fulfill its obligations in line with the Paris Agreement, but to set more ambitious targets,

Calls upon the European Union to take environmental and climate impact into account in all of its decisions, as an underlying criterion when passing legislation (i.e. climate mainstreaming)”

YEE is proud to have been able to represent its member organisations and youth across Europe during this COMEM, in raising the important issue of the need for urgent climate action and ensuring that the issue of environmental and climate impact in Europe does not disappear from the European Youth Forums narrative. We are looking forward to the next COMEM and working with YFJ.