PRESS RELEASE

BRATISLAVA | 27/10/2016
The Eastern Partnership Youth Conference Youth for Rights organised by the Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) under the patronage of the Slovak Presidency in the
Council of the European Union kicked off today in Bratislava.
It was initiated by the EaP CSF Working Group 4 Contacts between People and brings together over
120 genuine young activists from the Eastern Partnership countries, Russia and the EU who
vigorously advocate human rights and the democratic development of their societies.
H.E. Andrej Kiska, the President of the Slovak Republic, sent a video address to the human rights
activists. Katarina Mathernova, Deputy Director-General in charge of the Eastern Neighbourhood at
the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) of the
European Commission, delivered the opening address.
The Iron Curtain used to be just 1 km away from here, you have not experienced it, but you face many
other issues, Katarina Mathernova said. Your generation fills me with the hope and optimism for the
future. You are best suited to address the challenges in your countries and work with the communities
at the local level.
The main aim of the conference is to facilitate cooperation and contacts between the participants and to
create stronger and trust-based links for the future. Besides the sessions in plenary, the participants will
participate in capacity-building activities and will work together within the workshops entitled Youth
for democracy, Youth for environment, Youth for inclusion and diversity, Youth for education,
and Youth at work. Another aim of the event is to create synergies between the EaP Youth Conference
and the next EaP Youth Forum 2017 in Budapest, Hungary that will gather youth representatives
nominated by respective EaP governments and the EU, contributing with policy recommendations to
the Forum.
Young human rights activists, their organisations and civic initiatives should be encouraged. We
should make their voices heard. They should become the shapers of the youth policy in the EU Member
States and EaP countries, commented Hovsep Khurshudyan, EaP CSF Steering Committee
Member, Working Group 4 and main conference coordinator.
The results of the conference will also be presented during the EaP CSF Annual Assembly, which will
take place on 28-29 November 2016 in Brussels, and during the next meeting of the Eastern Partnership
Multilateral Platform 4 (October-November 2016).
The idea of the conference was born during the EaP Platform 4 meeting in Brussels on 14 December
2015, the event was consequently included into the EaP 2016 working plans, and stands out as a positive
example of efficient cooperation with the civil society within the multilateral dimension of the Eastern
Partnership policy.
Agenda
-- ENDS -About the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) is a unique multi-layered regional civil society
platform aimed at promoting European integration, facilitating reforms and democratic
transformations in the six Eastern Partnership countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia,
Moldova and Ukraine. Serving as the civil society and people-to-people dimension of the Eastern

Partnership, the EaP CSF strives to strengthen civil society in the region, boost pluralism in public
discourse and policy making by promoting participatory democracy and fundamental freedoms. For
more information, please visit the EaP CSF website at www.eap-csf.eu
For further information about the event and EaP CSF, please contact:
Darya Mustafayeva
EaP CSF Communications Manager
Email: darya.mustafayeva@eap-csf.eu
Phone: +32 486 27 49 47; +32 2893 2585