International Youth Day Declaration

The Parties agree that the promotion of regional cooperation among youth must be at the very top of the agenda of this conference, and welcome the openness to discuss the establishment of the Regional Office for youth cooperation. The Declaration expresses the values that should be base of the regional cooperation, and urges the Governments to dedicate themselves with equal energy to the process.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY DECLARATION

We, the young people of the Western Balkans,

Stand united aiming to contribute to maintaining peace and fostering anti-fascist and European values in our societies.

We seek more opportunities for uninhibited movement in the region and across Europe, for meeting people of different backgrounds, and for exchanging experiences with them. We see this as the best way to overcome the perennial conflicts, obstacles and isolation consequential of events that took place before we were born or in our early childhood, and which were imposed on us as reality by elderly generations. Despite these circumstances, we want to meet youth from other countries and cultures in the region, and to build together a joint future.

We want to know what happened in our past and who is responsible for that in hopes to accept the facts and face them, and to build reconciliation on these foundations. We want to be part of a Europe where truth, responsibility, justice, cooperation and reconciliation are respected.

We believe that socio-political, democratic, economic and any other progress of our societies is closely connected to the respect of human rights. We share a common vision of a society in which people equally enjoy inalienable rights and freedoms.

We have a vision of a peace-loving and prosperous region of inclusive societies which cooperate on the basis of trust and mutual understanding.

Bearing all this in mind,

We invite the Government of the Republic of Serbia to support the initiative for establishment of the Western Balkans Youth Office at the upcoming Conference on the Western Balkans in Vienna,

We expect that all the Governments of the countries in the region will express common will for the improvement of regional cooperation among youth,

We urge every Government to accept regional, multilateral approach to this matter, and to evenly commit to this process,

We offer our expertise, experience and advice, and demand that civil society and youth organizations are included in the process of establishment and functioning of the Western Balkans Youth Office in the appropriate format.

We are confident that the establishment of the Western Balkans Youth Office would represent the biggest breakthrough in regional relations, guaranteeing an era of peace and prosperity in the long-term.