Malta meeting paves way for Euro-Med Youth Platform

A meeting to formally launch the Euro-Med Youth Platform got underway yesterday at the Riviera Hotel, in Marfa.

Over 100 delegates from European and Mediterranean countries were greeted by Youth Affairs Minister Jesmond Mugliett, who said that the setting up of the Youth Platform was the culmination of a process that started way back when the Euro-Med process was initiated.

He observed that it was the second Euro Mediterranean Conference, held in Malta in April 1997, which stated that a programme of activities for youth should be established. The Euro Med Youth Action Programme was adopted in 1998 and Malta nominated a national coordinator and started actual participation in 1999.

Since 1999, Maltese youth groups had participated in 90 projects, 32 of which as hosts. The total amount of projects approved had reached €2.4 million worth and another €0.5 million had been extended to Malta's national structure for administration and training.

The Euro-Med Youth Platform aims at creating a broad network of youth organisations in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Malta was selected out of 27 countries to host its secretariat.

The platform will bring together in a more structured way young people from the region in an environment of tolerance and mutual understanding; it will facilitate networking between them and assist in the capacity building of their organisations. It also aims at increasing participation, sharing of relevant information and exchanging good practice between youth organisations.

This will be done through meetings, publications, the building of a database of youth organisations in the region, surveys and facilitating independent networking between organisations that have common interests.