25/06/2024 Session
Taking on board the views, expectations and concerns of young people “is an essential pre-condition to ensure the good functioning of democracy”, PACE stressed today – but regrettably, it added, “young people are under-represented in parliaments and do not engage sufficiently with traditional politics”.
In adopting a resolution, based on the report by Anastasios Chatzivasileiou (Greece, EPP/CD), PACE called for the establishment of a mechanism aimed at ensuring that “a youth perspective is systematically taken into account in its deliberations”. Such a PACE-Youth Participation Mechanism, detailed in the resolution adopted, would rely on the participation of members of the Assembly and young Europeans, represented by the Advisory Council of Youth and other structures of the Council of Europe youth sector.
Amongst these measures, each of the Assembly’s general committees (except for the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights) should appoint from amongst its members or alternates a Youth Rapporteur, “who shall be responsible for raising the youth perspective in the discussion on the reports under preparation in the committee”.
The adopted text calls on the Assembly’s national delegations to increase the presence of young parliamentarians amongst their members, consider reserving a certain number of seats for young parliamentarians, and take measures to encourage their active participation in the work of the Assembly.
“We must go and move beyond symbolic participation of young people to real involvement in decision making,” said Marharyta Vorykhava, Vice-chair of the Advisory Council on Youth, who emphasised the need to include young people's viewpoints in all aspects of the Parliamentary Assembly's work. “It is by embracing their contributions that we will be able to build a more inclusive, dynamic and revitalised democracy, capable of withstanding today's threats. This is a long-term investment in our shared common future,” Ms Vorykhava said, addressing the Assembly during the debate.