Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)7 on Young People’s Access to Rights

On 28th September 2016, Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)7 on Young People’s Access to Rights. The Recommendation highlights that access to rights requires young people, youth organisations and youth workers to know about the rights that young people should be able to enjoy and what they can do if their rights are violated.

On access to information (section 3.6), the Recommendation calls for the provision of "effective mechanisms for informing and advising young people of their rights and the possibilities for seeking redress if these rights are violated or withheld". The recommendation calls on Member States to establish or develop youth policies that more effectively facilitate young people’s access to rights. In this regard, Member States are invited to consider a series of specific measures to promote and facilitate young people’s access to rights and encourage local and regional authorities to do the same. The measures are set out under the following headings:

• access to education;
• autonomy and social inclusion of young people;
• youth mobility;
• active citizenship, democracy and participation;
• living together in diverse societies;
• access to information and protection;
• access to health care services.

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