Call for youth delegates to the CLRA

Deadline: 17 January 2017

In the framework of the Congress’ initiative “Rejuvenating politics”, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is inviting one young person per member State to come to Strasbourg to take an active part in its 32nd and 33rd sessions and develop their own grass-roots project back home. 

The Council of Europe wants to encourage more young people to get actively involved in strengthening civil society in Europe and to defend the values of human rights, cultural diversity and social cohesion. It also wants to promote and develop youth policies, putting special emphasis on the participation of young people. Complementing this orientation, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has been taking a closer look at the issue of youth participation.

Since October 2014, the Congress has therefore been inviting young people from different backgrounds – youth activists, youth workers, students, young politicians – to take part in its sessions, to have their say in the debates and to exchange with Congress members on the issues on the agenda.  Since 2016 they are invited to participate in both sessions, being involved in the Congress’ work for the whole year. As part of their participation in 2016 youth delegates were invited for the first time to develop their own projects at local and regional level. This aspect of their participation will be further developed in 2017.

The youth delegates, one from each member State, will sit in the hemicycle, alongside the Congress members for the whole of the session.  A one-day preparatory session, run according to non-formal education principles and a welcome evening will be organised prior to each session.  Youth delegates must commit to taking part in the whole of the two 2017 sessions: from 26 March and 16 October (19.00) to the debriefing sessions on 30 March and 20 October (17.00).