EU4Youth: National youth councils gather in Lviv, Ukraine, to influence state youth policy 

On 2-3 April, the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ project supported a two-day workshop in Lviv, Ukraine, bringing together eight national-level youth councils working under various Ukrainian ministries. 

The event provided a space for collaboration, dialogue, and policy shaping at the national level. Over the course of two days, more than 130 participants actively engaged in analysing the existing instruments of influence and jointly developing practical proposals for relevant ministries. The central goal was to ensure that the voices and interests of young people are meaningfully reflected in the design and approval of the upcoming State Target Social Programme ‘Youth of Ukraine 2026–2030’.

The workshop opened with a formal welcoming session and continued with presentations by national youth councils, allowing participants to gain a broader understanding of youth policy structures and their practical work. Following this, the participants took part in thematic workshops, including one on state target program development, which provided tools and frameworks for designing effective policy proposals.

The group work sessions that followed were dynamic and focused, with young leaders crafting concrete recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness and youth-friendliness of future government initiatives. These ideas were presented the next day, highlighting a collective commitment to participatory governance and youth-centered decision-making.

This workshop marked a significant step forward in institutional youth participation, reinforcing the importance of involving young people in shaping policies that directly affect their future.

The event was organised by the Youth Affairs Council under the President of Ukraine in close cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, together with the TVORY! Network, the ‘Lviv – European Youth Capital 2025’ initiative and with the support of the UNICEF Ukraine and ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ project co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).