Transcript:

Michael O'Flaherty:I’m really looking forward to the European Year of Young People 2022. I believe we can achieve so much together as we face the great challenges.

Why am I so optimistic? Well, here are two reasons. The first is that I’m every day struck by the quality of the smart ideas that young people bring to the tough conversations – the ideas about solutions, and just as importantly, how to get there.

I’m also struck by the extent to which those ideas and discussions are not just about the future – we always say that young people are about the future – but it’s about the now. It’s about working with young people to fix our societies, today.

Now this cooperation with young people won’t happen by accident. We need to create the spaces where there can be a respectful dialogue. The Fundamental Rights Agency will play its part in this regard. We will set up in 2022 a set of Fundamental Rights Dialogues between policymakers and young people, whereby we can look at the toughest of the issues we’re facing and figure out together how we can move forward. Thank you.