BERLIN – The Berlin Declaration of the Western Balkans Youth Forum 2022 is finally launched. The tremendous work derived from a collaborative effort by over 70 young individuals from across the WB, who spent four days working together to provide a youth perspective on crucial matters such as resilient democracy, inclusive peace and security, and sustainable living can be now accessed for the general public in the link here. During the Western Balkans Summit held on November 3 in Berlin, youth representatives from all Western Balkans had the opportunity to present the Declaration to their leaders and EU stakeholders.
The Berlin Declaration of the Western Balkans Youth Forum 2022 highlights the significant topics that matter to the youth in the region: building strong and resilient democracies, working together for inclusive peace and security, and taking action to ensure a sustainable future for our planet. This declaration demonstrates the youth’s commitment to actively participate in addressing pressing issues and having their voices heard in decision-making processes at all levels.
The Declaration consists of four segments — the preamble, where young people identify their concerns and aims, as well as parts dedicated to establishing resilient democracies, building inclusive peace in times of war, and ensuring a sustainable and green future.
As Mr. Hani recalled it, the forum was an opportunity for mainstreaming youth perspectives and achieving meaningful participation of youth “not just as a topic but as an active part of those discussions.”
“RYCO has been facilitating the dialogue between young people from the Western Balkans ever since it was founded. Moreover, RYCO amplifies the youth voices making them heard at high political levels such as the Berlin Process. This year was special as it was the first time that youth representatives had been invited to join the Summit and got an opportunity to meet the leaders of the EU and Western Balkans to present them the conclusions of the Youth Forum. This is a significant step forward in regard to youth participation and we hope this will remain the practice in the future. Young people are ready to take on more responsibilities and be part of the solutions. RYCO is fully committed to supporting them in this role,” RYCO Secretary General Hani stated.
What’s next?
The Western Balkans Youth Forum of the Berlin Process 2022 is organized by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office in partnership with Crossborder Factory. The forum is supported by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Regional Cooperation Council’s Western Balkan Youth Lab project and a regional project funded by the European Union (EU) Technical Assistance to Civil Society Organisations in the Western Balkans and Turkey (TACSO). This forum gave the opportunity to young people to voice their opinions on the current regional and global political issues but also to reflect on the role of youth in the Western Balkans and provide specific input for decision-makers who need to include the youth’s perspectives in order to successfully tackle these issues. This year we are more than thrilled to be hosting and organizing the 2023 Western Balkans Youth Forum in Tirana.