European Year of Youth 2022: EU adopts the first Youth Action Plan
2022
European Year of Youth 2022
EU adopts the first Youth Action Plan
The European Union, in the context of the European Year of Youth 2022, has taken an important step to empower young people. The Union adopted the first Youth Action Plan to support young people to find their place in society and actively shape a better future.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrel underlined the difficult conditions experienced by this vulnerable and precious age group, which is largely deprived of security, basic material resources and is swayed by all kinds of different crises. He stressed the importance of investing in their development and protection.
The Youth Action Plan in EU External Action is guided by three pillars of action that will help shape the EU's partnership with young people in partner countries:
partnership to engage: increasing young people's voices in policy and decision-making;
partnership to empower: fighting inequalities and providing young people with the skills and tools they need to thrive;
partnership to connect: fostering opportunities for young people to network and exchange with their peers worldwide.
The EU aims to promote youth mobility, exchanges and networking as an essential part of the people-to-people dimension of the Global Gateway strategy. The aim is to actively implement equality and inclusion, considering socioeconomic disadvantages, information and digital access gap.
The Youth Action Plan targets young people around the world and includes actions and initiatives such as:
The Youth and Women in Democracy Initiative, worth €40 million, aims to give voice and power to young people, youth activists and youth-led organisations worldwide by strengthening their rights, empowerment, and participation in public and political affairs.
The Youth Empowerment Fund is a new pilot initiative worth €10 million that will provide direct financial support to youth-led initiatives in partner countries focusing on implementing Sustainable Development Goals at the local level.
The Africa-Europe Youth Academy will channel financial support of €50 million to formal and informal learning opportunities and exchanges for young people willing to improve their leadership skills and create networks of change-makers in Africa.
The Youth Action Plan is the result of collaboration with over 220 stakeholders worldwide, particularly children's rights and youth organisations. It aims to give an international dimension to the European Year of Youth and marks the practical involvement of the Conference on the Future of Europe in the formulation and implementation of European policy. It is an action in line with the EU Youth Strategy, the EU Strategy of the Rights of the Child, the European Pillar of Social Rights, EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III. It follows an evidence-based approach and will also support the implementation of the UN Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, underlining that through empowering and supporting young people, we can hope for a peaceful and prosperous future.
