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- Adopted! The European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life
Adopted! The European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life
The Braga Youth Centre marks the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of the new text of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, a strategic document that strengthens the role of young people in decision-making at local and regional levels.
The Committee of Ministers thus joins the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in responding to the concerns and aspirations of today’s young people, contributing to the sustainability and resilience of democratic societies and creating a framework for youth participation that takes into account multiple levels of governance.
The approval of the new Charter marks the culmination of a European revision process launched in 2024 and developed over two years, involving young people, civil society organisations and public authorities from several countries.
One of the most significant moments in this process took place in Braga in February 2025, when the Braga Youth Centre hosted the European conference “Democracy in Action!”.
The conference brought together 150 representatives of youth civil society, local youth councils and local and regional authorities, who provided feedback on the draft text and proposed actions for its implementation.
The contributions collected during this conference formed part of the revision process that has now culminated in the adoption of the new European document.
For the Braga Youth Centre, hosting this conference represents recognition of the role of both the city and the institution as a European space for dialogue, exchange and the development of youth public policies.“The adoption of the new European Charter on Youth Participation — which many are already calling the ‘Braga Charter’ — is an important step in strengthening democracy and civic participation among the younger generations. It is a source of great satisfaction to know that a key moment in this process took place in Braga and at the Braga Youth Centre,” said Pedro Couto Soares, Director of the Braga Youth Centre.
The new Charter reaffirms that young people are rights-holders and that public authorities must ensure effective conditions for their participation, including permanent dialogue structures such as local and regional youth councils, as well as policies that promote the involvement of young people in democratic life.
Braga Youth Centre
Located a few minutes walking from the Historic Centre of the city, Braga's Youth Centre is a multipurpose space that offers versatile and confortable accommodations, suitable for every age group.
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