(AGENPARL) – Wed 29 October 2025 Image
PRESS RELEASE
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Ref. CG077(2025)
New Charter on youth participation in cities and regions: Council of Europe Congress calls for supportive environments for young people
Presented by rapporteur Aida Karimli (Sweden, ILDG), the Charter is the result of an extensive consultation process involving youth from all over Europe, often through youth civil society organisations. The revised text and the Congress’ resolution and recommendation call on local and regional authorities to promote and apply the principles set out in the Charter by ensuring that young people can participate regularly, meaningfully and safely in decision-making processes. The texts also highlights the need to create enabling and supportive environments, including by training elected representatives and local and regional staff on how to engage effectively with young people and provide feedback on how youth input shapes policy. National governments are invited to establish legal and policy frameworks that support youth participation across all policy areas of governance, and to ensure the Charter is translated and disseminated widely, including in accessible and youth-friendly formats.
“Today’s young people are not satisfied with being consulted once in a while, they want to be active partners in decision making and true game changers,” stressed the rapporteur. “It is our responsibility, as local and regional authorities, to make this happen and to give real meaning to the concept of democratic participation from an early age on.”
49th Session
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is an institution of the Council of Europe, responsible for strengthening local and regional democracy in its 46 member states. Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, it brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.
President of the Congress: Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD).
Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR).
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