Youth Partnership

Background

In the last ten years the Council of Europe and the European Commission have developed a close cooperation in the youth field.

Since 1998, this Partnership between the two institutions has taken the form of consecutive agreements focusing in a first stage on “European Youth Worker and Youth Leader Training”, complemented in 2003 by two further covenants, one on “Euro-Mediterranean youth co-operation” and another one on “Youth Research”. As from 2005 both partners strengthened co-operation and established one single Partnership Agreement with the aim to provide a lasting framework for the joint development of a coherent strategy in the field of youth worker training, youth policy and youth research.

The Partnership provides an added value to the programmes of the two institutions and their institutional partners, fosters co-operation, complementarity and synergies and enhances the Partnership’s impact on youth related policies and activities in Europe and beyond.

The current Partnership Agreement covers the period 1 January 2007 – 31 December 2009. The European Commission and the Council of Europe intend to continue the Partnership beyond this period.

The Partnership objectives

The four general objectives of the Partnership which the European Commission shares with the Council of Europe are

o Citizenship, participation, human rights education and intercultural dialogue
 
o Social cohesion, inclusion and equal opportunities
   
o Recognition, quality and visibility of youth work and training

o Better understanding and knowledge of youth and youth policy development

Contacts:

http://www.youth-partnership.net