Youth policies and strategies in the context of the
MDGs
Sub-Regional Workshop for the Gulf States
Models of youth political participation
by Enzo Amendola
Bahrain
28-29 May 2005
Enzo Amendola
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International Union of Socialist Youth:
1999-2001 Vice-President
2001 – Secretary General
International Experience:
2001 -, IUSY delegate to the UN/WB/ILO
meeting
2001 -, IUSY delegate to the European
Youth Forum
2001 -, member of the Council of
Europe Affair Commission, YFJ
2001 -, member of the Advisory Council
at the CoE
2004 -, IUSY delegate to ICMYO
Models of youth participation
1)FROM THE LOCAL TO THE NATIONAL
LEVEL
2) EUROPEAN LEVEL:
2.1) Open method of Coordination
2.2) Co-Management system
3) GLOBAL LEVEL
Defining Youth Organisations
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Age Limit
Based on Active membership
Internal Democracy
Independent from Government
Ad-hoc and/or Structural participation
Social and/or Political participation
1) From local to national level
consultative model
G-local youth activity
A basic interest /a basic needs
The action starts
A local community issue action
Issue based Campaign
Youth issues as an horizontal policy
Changing the Local community life
Local campaign
Local youth policy definition
National network
National network
Global network
Global network
Ad Hoc
Participation
Structural Participation
Youth participation at the local
level
A local community issue action
Org.
Issue based Campaign
Org.
Youth issues as an horizontal policy
Org.
Confrontation with the
local Institutions
Local
Youth
Council
National
Youth
Council
Relations with Institutions
Local
Youth
Councils
Action based on:
1.
National
Youth Council
Youth
issues
as a
horizontal
policy
Org.
National
Institutions 2.
Consultation
Proposal
Evaluation on the Consultative
Model
– The priorities of the decision makers in the youth
field could not be influenced by the CM till the
changes
– The balance between the power of the decision
makers and effectiveness of the CM must be
reassessed
– The CM must lead to effective action at Local/
State level, in particular in order to continue to
guarantee young people’s support for and
commitment to the process
– Young people should be consulted constantly, in a
structured and effective way
2) European level
First Model:
Open method of Coordination
and the experience of the European Youth Forum
(www.youthforum.org)
What is the EYF?
• A pan-European
platform of national
Youth councils and
Non-Governmental
youth Organisations in
Europe
• Advocating for the interests
of young people towards the
international institutions
(European Union, the
Council of Europe and the
United Nations)
• Established in 1996
• Promoting the development
of youth work in Europe and
internationally
• 93 member
organisations
• Providing services to
member organisations
European Youth Forum
93 Member Organisations
INGYOs
NYCs
General Assembly
(meets every 2 years)
Bureau
(12 elected volunteers)
Council of Members
(meets twice a year)
Council of Europe
Affairs Commission
Working Units
Secretariat
European Union Affairs
Commission
What makes EYF different
from other organisations?
• The European Youth Forum is the only democratic
youth structure in Europe representing youth
organisations towards the international institutions mainly the European Union, the Council of Europe
and the United Nations
• It serves to channel the flow of information and
opinions between young people and decision-makers
• It is the biggest regional youth platform in the world
• It is run by young people
European Youth Forum
Actions
• Lobby the European Institutions
• Participate in the consultations on the draft common
objectives, the questionnaires and the evaluation
report
• Draft EYF positions after consultation of Member
Organisations on the common objectives
• Regular meetings with the institutions (+ letters,
articles and press releases)
Horizontal Aspects
Taking more account of youth in other policies:
– inclusion of youth dimension in other policies and
programmes on national and European level
– explore ways in which young people can be taken
into consideration in EU Commission proposals and
EU Community programmes and initiatives
– education, lifelong learning, mobility, employment and
social integration, combating racism and xenophobia,
autonomy
Open Method of Coordination
Since 2001 on the Youth Policy
EU States
National Youth policy decision
EYF
proposals
Open method coordination
(consultation)
EU Commission
proposals
Open Method of Coordination

4 thematic priorities
– Participation
– Information
– Voluntary activities among
young people
– Greater understanding and
knowledge of youth

Consultation
European Youth Forum is
consulted on the different
stages:
- The formulation of the
questionnaires
- Drafts for common
objectives in each priority
area
- Evaluation report of the
OMC
Evaluation on the OMC
– The priorities of the framework of European
cooperation in the youth field must be discussed
(reinforcing existing priorities, new priorities, etc.)
– The balance between the flexibility and
effectiveness of the OMC must be reassessed
– The OMC must lead to effective action at Member
State level, in particular in order to continue to
guarantee young people’s support for and
commitment to the process
– Young people should be consulted constantly, in a
structured and effective way at both national and
European level
2) European level
Second Model:
Co-Management System
and the experience of the Council of Europe
(www.coe.int)
Democratic ideals
and standards
Universality of
Human Rights
European Cultural
identity
Cooperation on relevant
issues for societies
Key values and work fields of the Council of
Europe
The Council of Europe's Member States
 Albania
 Andorra
 Armenia
 Austria
 Azerbaijan
 Belgium
 Bosnia & Herzegovina
 Bulgaria
 Croatia
 Cyprus
 Czech Republic
 Denmark
 Estonia
 Finland
 France
 Georgia
 Germany
 Greece
 Hungary
 Iceland
 Ireland
 Italy
 Latvia
 Liechtenstein
 Lithuania
 Luxembourg
 Malta
 Moldova
 Netherlands
 Norway
 Poland
 Portugal
 Romania
 Russian Federation
 San Marino
 Slovakia
 Slovenia
 Spain
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 the "former Yugoslav
Republic
of Macedonia"
 Turkey
 Ukraine
 United Kingdom
The Special Guests to
the Parliamentary
Assembly
Serbia and
Montenegro*
Members of the
European Cultural
Convention (non
member CoE states)
Belarus
Holy See
Monaco
Serbia and
Montenegro*
* accepted on 03.04.2003
National
Parliaments
Parliamentary
Assembly
(45 National
parliaments)
Secretariat General
National
Governments
Local and Regional
Authorities
Committee of
Ministers
(45 Ministers of
Foreign Affairs)
CLRAE
(The Congress of
Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe)
European Court
of Human Rights
(45 judges)
Key bodies of the Council of Europe
Key bodies of the Council of Europe
Abridged Council of Europe’s Secretariat
Secretary General
(Terry Davis)
DG
Political
Affairs
DG II
Human
Rights
DG I
Legal
Affairs
DG III
Social
Cohesion
We are
here!
DG IV
Education
Culture
Youth
Sport
CoE
& Youth
DG
Administration
& Logistics
Anti-Doping
& Spectator
Violence
CoE Secretariat
Committee of
Ministers
ADVISORY
COUNCIL
30 Non governmental
representatives
JOINT COUNCIL on
YOUTH QUESTIONS
48 Non governmental
representatives
AC + CDEJ
Ministries
of Youth
Youth NGOs
Young
people
CDEJ
Programming
Committee
Governments
Co-management structures of the
Directorate of Youth and Sport
Intergovernmental sector
Committee
of
Ministers
European Steering
Committee on Youth,
CDEJ, 47 members,
The Contracting
Parties to the
Cultural Convention
Co-managed sector
Joint Council on
Youth Questions
European
Youth
Foundation
Working Groups
Non-Formal
Education
and Social
cohesion
Mobility Fund
for
Disadvantaged
Young People
Youth
participation
and active
democratic
citizenship
Advisory Council, AC
30 members
European
Youth
Centres
Programming
Committee
Partial
agreement
on the
Youth Card
Non-governmental sector
8 CDEJ & 8 AC
Activities / Services
for leaders in
youth organisations
Study sessions
Language courses
Training courses
Symposia
Consultative meetings
Documentation & research
7 national youth
committees
13 international nongovernmental youth
organisations
Youth Forum
5 international nongovernmental youth
organisations
Non-Youth Forum
5 other structures
Structures
Intergovernmental
sector
Co-managed
sector
Non-governmental
sector
European Steering
Committee for
Youth (CDEJ)
Joint Council on
Youth Questions
(JC)
Advisory Council
(AC)
48 members
78 members
30 members
Programming Committee
(PC)
16 members
Youth
Participation
Peace and
Intercultural dialogue
Human rights
education and Social cohesion
Working Priorities of the DJS 2003- 2005
Evaluation on CoManagement System
– The political and economical possibilities of the CoE are
limited in order to intervene with a wider range of tools on
the youth conditions
– The balance between the flexibility and effectiveness of the
CMS must be reassessed
– The CMS must lead to effective action at the Member State
level, in particular in order to continue to guarantee young
people’s support for and commitment to the process
3) Global level
International Youth Cooperation
ICMYO
What is ICMYO?
In Geneva in July 2004 the European Youth
Forum, together with the International
Movement of Catholic Students and the World
Organization of the Scout Movement
convened an International Coordination
Meeting of Youth Organisations for two
main objectives:
a) the coordination of political inputs
to the ongoing political processes
affecting youth worldwide
b) the strengthening of the
cooperation between youth
organisations with a regional and
global outreach.
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ICFTU – International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
IFLRY – International Federation of Liberal Youth,
IFM/SEI – International Falcon Movement – Socialist Educational
International
IFMSA – International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations
IFRC – International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies
IMCS/MIEC – International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS
Pax Romana)
IYCS/JECI International Young Catholic Students
IUSY – International Union of Socialist Youth
WAGGGS – World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts
WFDY – World Federation of Democratic Youth
WOSM – World Organization of Scout Movement
YDC – Youth for Development and Cooperation
YMCA – World Alliance of YMCAs
YWCA – World Young Women’s Christian Association
YFJ – European Youth Forum
ASA - Asian Students Association
RAJ/AYN – Réseau Africain de la Jeunesse/African Youth Network
UPJ/PYU – Union Panafricaine de la Jeunesse/Pan-African Youth
Union
AYU – Arab Youth Union
PYC – Pacific Youth Council
FLAJ – Foro Latinoamericano de Juventud/Latin American Youth
Forum
International Coordination Meeting of
Youth Organisations
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Action to:
exchange information, experience and concerns
influence political processes and decisions of
international institutions working/impacting on youth
increase cooperation at the regional level in order to
be stronger and overcome individual limitations
work together on common thematic priorities and to
put focus on global youth work
Global action
We call for:
UN
Agencies
1.
Open method
of coordination
2.
CoManagement
system
Regional
Institutions
ICMYO
Reg/Global
youth
platform
MDG
pe
Thank you for your attention!