COMEM - working together to #YouthUp Europe!
On 27-28 April, the European Youth Forum hosted its Council of Members (COMEM) in Brussels, bringing together over 150 youth organisation representatives from across Europe.
This month’s COMEM saw a packed agenda reflecting the diversity of issues that greatly matter to young people. We are proud to announce that as a result of in-depth discussion and debate, European youth voices have come together to present two new policy papers calling for investment in youth in the European Union’s next long-term budget and for ensuring a sustainable future.
Member organisations were also invited to lead key conversations which ranged from the impact of climate change, to gender equality and the role of youth in the future of Europe. The impact of Brexit on youth also featured as a priority, with delegates demonstrating solidarity with young people in the negotiations and voting to support a motion on the topic.
Delegates also spoke out strongly on issues concerning peace in Syria and the situation for civil society in Hungary and voted to pass two Urgent Resolutions.
The Youth Forum family continues to grow stronger. As a result of this month’s COMEM, we are excited to welcome NYCM-FYROM as a full member and NYCU as a candidate member.
As part of the COMEM agenda, we were also excited to kick off our series of “YouthUp Europe” events last Thursday to discuss the future for democracy in Europe. The European Youth Forum teamed up with Bruegel – one of the leading economic think tanks in Europe – to provide a space for young people, including COMEM delegates, to debate with researchers and policy makers on how we can better engage citizens in setting the agenda for the future of Europe, especially in the run-up to the next European elections in 2019. We were very pleased to be joined by Irish Senator Alice Mary Higgins, MEP Roberta Metsola, Director of Bruegel, Guntram Wolff and Thodoris Georgakopoulos, Editorial Director at diaNEOsis and moderator of the event.
The European Youth Forum’s Council of Members happens twice a year and the next meeting in November will take place in Novi Sad, Serbia - the European Youth Capital for 2019. We look forward to welcoming participants back for more important debates and to work together #ForYouthRights!
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