Spain assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the second half of 2023. In its commitment to promoting child and adolescent participation at various levels, Spain advocates for greater recognition of this right in community decision-making. Therefore, it made child and adolescent participation a priority during its presidency, with the hope of inspiring other European governments to follow suit.
To this end, the Spanish Government, in collaboration with UNICEF Spain and the Platform of Childhood Organizations, organized the European Meeting on Child and Adolescent Participation, as part of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, with an in-person format held in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) from September 29 to October 1, 2023, with the participation of 30 boys and girls from 10 EU countries, following the participatory process of an advisory group made up of children and adolescents from different EU countries. During the three days of the in-person meeting, the participating boys and girls, selected by Member States, debated the topics they had selected themselves and subsequently disseminated the conclusions. Representing Spain, six members of CEPIA attended alongside children and adolescents from other participation platforms in our country.
To prepare for this meeting, a pan-European consultation led by the organization Child Friendly Governance was launched in advance, coordinating work with an advisory group of adolescents from several European countries, laying the foundation for the European child participation meeting. This consultation identified education, protection (understood as safe spaces), mental health, and participation as their main issues or concerns. Based on the information that emerged from this meeting, a series of recommendations was developed for the Spanish government and other EU decision-makers.
