This report provides an overview of young people’s access to their rights in Europe and the existing mechanisms for their implementation. Member states are invited to study the possibility of drafting a framework convention on the rights of young people, based on the ten principles below, which include common indicators as tools for monitoring the implementation of youth rights, which are those rights which enable young people to successfully make the transition between childhood and adulthood, to become informed, independent, autonomous, responsible and committed citizens.

More efforts should be made towards the goal of providing education that is universal, free and accessible. Furthermore, beyond economic considerations education should be valued as a means of self-fulfilment and of empowerment for young people. Member states should adopt measures which enable academic mobility of youth and establish validation procedures which allow the academic achievements and professional qualifications of their respective national educational systems to be recognised across Europe.

The highest unemployment rates today all over Europe are among young people, including those with a high level of qualification. It is extremely important to ensure jobs and autonomy for young adults as early as possible. The transition phase from education systems to the labour market is not linear. Entering the labour market is increasingly challenging and often involves several periods of navigation between studies, unemployment, non-paid work experience or low paid employment.

Young people have a right to decent, affordable housing of good quality to enable them to achieve a stable environment for their development as adults and their relations with the community.
Health education must be taught at all educational levels. Sexual and reproductive health education should be also provided.

In order for young people to understand their rights, accept the accompanying responsibilities and be given opportunities to express themselves, full and effective participation of youth in the life of society and in decision-making must be encouraged from an early age. The participation of young people is a determining factor in ensuring social cohesion and in making democracy work.

Policies must ensure young people’s access to cultural activities and exchanges, as well as the right to maintain cultural and personal identity. School students speaking a minority language should be offered lessons in the language in question. Optional courses on minority language and culture should also be offered to students representing the majority population. Young people must be allowed to develop their personal abilities and identities as they wish.

It is necessary to raise awareness of the existence and importance of youth rights by increasing, centralising and harmonising the information available to policy-makers and to the general public. Young people should get their rights known. What is needed is better recognition and implementation of the rights of young people in Europe.

In the meantime, the Council of Europe has been proving for many years that the absence of legislation does not hinder the implementation of youth policies and programmes at national and international levels, in co-operation with member states and more recently with the European Union. Perhaps it proves that legislation is not essential. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that progress on the ground is sometimes slow and hard to measure.

During preparation of the report, I met on several occasions with international youth organisations through the Council of Europe’s network of partner non-governmental organisations (NGOs), especially the European Youth Forum. In-depth discussions were held with youth and government representatives in the Council of Europe’s Advisory Council and Joint Council on Youth. I participated in the United Nations World Youth Conference, which provided valuable insight into the situation of young people in and beyond Europe and youth policies that are being implemented. I also participated in the European Youth Forum’s General Assembly, as well as in the European Youth Parliament’s annual forum.

Young people are key actors in the development of our societies and are capable of assuming their own rights and liberties autonomously. They are more informed than ever, but the information available does not automatically confer real empowerment and the means to make use of existing frameworks. It is necessary to raise awareness of the existence and importance of youth rights by increasing, centralising and harmonising the information available to policy and decision-makers and to the general public. Young people in the Council of Europe member states must receive further encouragement and means to fully assume their role as actors in, and between, their societies.

Despite the fact that many aspects of youth rights are enshrined in existing instruments, it is undeniable that gaps remain when it comes to the promotion of these rights and between theory and practice. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective implementation of existing international legislation and policies.

After reviewing the state of youth rights in Europe and the mechanisms for their implementation, I consider for the said reasons that the idea of a Council of Europe framework convention for the protection of youth rights should be examined more closely. The ten principles appended to the recommendation should serve as a guide for the content of a framework convention. At the same time, existing international instruments, programmes and policies should be put together in a coherent and comprehensive “handbook” for the use of young people as well as youth leaders and organisations.