Policy Dialogue with Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen: "Building partnerships as the way forward in geopolitically challenging times"

As part of the European Year of Youth, the Commission organized policy dialogues with EU Commissioners to highlight the important role young people play in society and to offer them the opportunity for a meaningful exchange with decision-makers on topics of their interest and in the remit of the respective Commissioner’s portfolio.

On 29 November Commissioner Urpilainen met 16 young people from the EU and partner countries as part of the policy dialogue. The overall theme of the dialogue is “Building partnerships as the way forward in geopolitically challenging times”, with a focus on the Youth Action Plan (YAP) implementation.  

This meeting was an opportunity to engage with young people, hear about their experiences and gather their views and ideas on how to build effective, meaningful and inclusive partnerships in today’s challenging geopolitical context in order to overcome the multiple crises and tackle inequalities.

Did you miss the live discussion? Don't worry, you can watch the recorded version by accessing the European Commission live stream page.

Take aways from the Dialogue

The Dialogue showcased that youth must be put at the heart of the international partnerships being built in geopolitically challenging times and the Youth Action Plan in EU external action is decisive in this perspective. 3 takeaways:
 

1. The SDGs must guide policy and progress for all has to be monitored. The impact on youth of actions implemented to reach the SDGs need to be monitored closely. Where necessary, mitigating measures must be foreseen. The monitoring mechanism of the EU Youth Action Plan in external action is as important as the plan itself and young people can help define key indicators. Young people should be engaged in the design of actions as well as in their implementation – for example the Youth Empowerment Fund. For the latter, support to youth organizations and opportunities for youth-led actions are needed. The 2023 SDG Summit provides the occasion to reaffirm the importance of the SDGs. We should make the best use of generational diversity for achieving these collective goals.
2. Peace and development are two sides of the same coin. Investments in human development and overall sustainability are investments in peace. Advancing the Youth Peace and Security agenda requires emphasis on inclusion, addressing negative narratives around youth participation (taking young people seriously, engaging local stakeholders), access to resources, involving youth in designing actions, and the safety of young activists and peacebuilders (e.g. through conflict sensitive approaches and adapted support mechanisms). New approaches are needed to strengthening peace, democracy and human rights in the Sahel and other regions affected by conflicts.
3. Youth-to-youth connections for changemaking. Efforts to build networks and connections should be thought with inclusion at their heart reaching beyond usual networks, taking into account those that have limited digital connection, enlarging participation opportunities through the availability of resources, accessibility, language, and training, and including  those working at community level. The narrative around civil and civic activism should also be addressed, showing the importance of civil society and citizens engaging with decision making processes and highlighting their contribution to addressing global challenges. Alumni networks should be empowered to make the most of the different resoures and investments of the EU in connecting youth and with youth.