Towards a greater youth involvement

Commission on Youth Issues held its second meeting in Tallinn on 12-14 May with about 30 participants from 15 cities attending.

The Commission meeting started with a reception hosted by the deputy mayor of Tallinn, followed by a presentation of Tallinn on youth work and youth policy by Jaak Raie, Head of Tallinn Sport and Youth Department.

One of the main points on the agenda was planning the next youth conference, planned to take place in Pärnu in 2007 at the same time as the UBC General Assembly.

"The interest for, and the engagement within the Commission on Youth Issues is amazing! Almost every week we are contacted by cities around the Baltic Sea who would like to get more information on the time, place and theme for our next Commission meeting. I am so pleased to see that so many cities are actually adopting the youth policy and recognizing children and youth as a resource for local city development. To Thnd new ways to have a dialogue with youth and to build and "reinvigorate" the society with the focus on the coming generation, is a necessity for a sustainable development in the Baltic Sea Region" - says Charlotte Gustafsson, Chair of Commission on Youth Issues, City of Kalmar.

The next city to host a meeting for the Commission on Youth Issues is Liep?ja in Latvia. The Commission core group will meet on 7 November followed by an open meeting on 8-9 November open to all UBC cities.

The programme includes further planning of the next youth conference, a workshop on "The future and importance of youth NGOs for youth and society" as well as study visits to youth centres in Liepaja.

The full programme and registration form can be downloaded at the new website of the Commission on Youth Issues: www.ubc-youth.org.