OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation Group Vienna, 11 December 2023

1.The European Union thanks Finland for chairing the OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation Group, and warmly welcomes the Mediterranean Partners to this second meeting of 2023. We thank the speakers for their insightful presentations.

2.The EU expresses its gratitude to North Macedonia for their intense and fruitful work as Chair in 2023. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Malta for having been appointed on 1st December, during the 30thMinisterial Council in Skopje, as Chair of the OSCE for 2024.

3.The EU attaches great importance to the engagement of youth in decision-making processes as an indispensable contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, against the background of the Youth and Security Agenda and together with OSCE instruments for conflict prevention and resolution.

4.The European Union would like to reiterate its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of Hamas for its brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks across Israel on 7 October and strongly emphasise Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law and international humanitarian law. The EU reiterates the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians at all times in line with international humanitarian law. We deplore all loss of civilian life. We are gravely concerned about the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and call for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures, including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs.

5.Across the OSCE region and beyond, youth is called to play a major role in defending international law and our OSCE commitments. Therefore, we welcome the initiatives undertaken, in order to facilitate the involvement of youth in finding solutions to the diverse challenges posed by the current circumstances. Confidence and security-building are aspects that directly affect the future of youth throughout the region.

6. These challenges have been addressed not only through activities in general programmes, such as the initiative European Year of Youth 2022, the European Solidarity Corps, the Erasmus+ Programme, the Erasmus programme for young entrepreneurs, the Online tools for youth work and training (SALTO) and many others, but also through activities organised in cooperation with Mediterranean Partners, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

7. In this regard, we would like to highlight the Mediterranean Youth Foundation for Development together with the 3rd edition of the Mediterranean Youth Academy. The Union for the Mediterranean Youth Strategy 2030: Euro Mediterranean Youth towards a Common Goal is a further concrete response to the needs of the Mediterranean youth. Additionally, the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, contributes to empowering young people in education and research, fostering mobility, and hosting the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Innovation Camp for innovation strengthening.

8. Within the OSCE, the EU has consistently supported the inclusion of a youth perspective in all mandated activities, throughout the Unified Budget, but also with regards to extra-budgetary projects and contributions.

9. We sincerely appreciate the role that the Informal Group of Friends of Youth and Security has been performing within the OSCE since 2015, fostering discussions and activities in which the participation of young women and men has played a key role.

10. We would also like to highlight the Project on Involving and Supporting Youth in Crisis Management and Post-Conflict Rehabilitation in Ukraine, under the Support Programme for Ukraine (SPU), which supports the long-term democratic and social resilience of institutions and civil society. We must not forget that Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine has posed many challenges to the Ukrainian youth, and consequently, it is of utmost importance that the OSCE enables participation of young women and men in the finding of solutions to the current dire situation. In this regard, we would like to underline the commendable contribution that Ukrainian youth has done in defending the sovereignty of their country.

11. The extra-budgetary projects on Youth and Security with the organisation of the flagship Model OSCE events for young participants from different OSCE regions and the YDEAS project on youth entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans are further examples of the invaluable work of the OSCE to foster youth empowerment.

12. Moreover, we would like to commend the North Macedonia Chair for organising the CiO Youth Forum in November under the theme “Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship: creating an OSCE future in the OSCE region”, which managed to engage young people and other stakeholders in meaningful discussions, particularly on social and green entrepreneurship, a crucial topic in order to promote inclusive growth, reduce inequality and build a peaceful and thriving society.

13. The EU also welcomes the side event organised in Skopje during the 30th Ministerial Council, on Youth and Civil Society during which a manifesto agreed by 37 young participants of the referred Youth Forum was formally presented. The manifesto reflects the link between civil society and youth, and advocates for a reinforced participation of youth in decision making-processes.

14. The challenges related to youth and gender equality are key to address, as solutions to current and upcoming problems might take into account both perspectives in order to guarantee inclusiveness and a holistic approach to the present challenges. In this regard, the Scholarship for Peace and Security and the OSCE Dialogue Academy for Young Women are excellent initiatives to empower young people in conflict prevention and resolution and advance inter- and intra-community dialogue, including through confidence- and peacebuilding.

15. As we heard today, the OSCE focus on youth’s empowerment can make an important contribution to peace and security in our region. We reiterate that the EU will continue to be committed to all OSCE initiatives fostering a youth perspective in our cooperation with the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation.

The Candidate Countries NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, ALBANIA*, UKRAINE, the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA, and BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA*, the Potential Candidate Country GEORGIA, as well as MONACO and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.