VALLETTA, 22 & 23 May 2025 – The House of Representatives of Malta organised a series of PACE-related meetings in Malta, including the Bureau, the Presidential Committee, Women@PACE, the Standing Committee, and a roundtable session focused on youth empowerment.
Malta’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Francesca Camilleri Vettiger, attended the Women@PACE session, which aimed to boost female participation in political life. The event featured prominent speakers, including former President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou, and Hon. Naomi Cachia, Malta’s Head of Delegation to the Assembly.
In her address, President Emeritus Coleiro Preace underlined that women have already embraced empowerment and called for greater efforts to engage men and raise awareness about the burdens of societal expectations placed on women. Moreover, she highlighted the critical role of education in fostering gender balance and cultivating a culture of peace and mutual respect.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Hon Ian Borg, addressed the Standing Committee as President of the Committee of Ministers. He outlined Malta’s Presidency priorities and reaffirmed the country’s strong commitment to multilateralism. Dr Borg stressed the importance of dialogue, diplomacy, and respect for addressing today’s global challenges. A one-hour Q&A session with parliamentarians and a bilateral meeting with PACE President Mr Theodoros Roussopoulos followed his remarks.
To conclude the series of events, a roundtable titled “Seen, Heard, and In Charge: Our Role in Actively Promoting Young People” was organised. The discussion centred on boosting youth engagement in democratic processes. Hon. Naomi Cachia moderated the round table, which featured contributions from Hon. Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation; Cherise Sultana, President of the Maltese National Youth Council; Yevheniia Kravchuk, Chair of the PACE Sub-Committee on Youth and the Society of the Future; and Miriam Teuma, Chair of the European Steering Committee for Youth.
PACE President Mr Theodoros Rousopoulos and Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon Anġlu Farrugia delivered opening remarks. In his address, the Speaker underscored Malta’s commitment to youth inclusion, highlighting significant reforms like lowering the voting age to 16, allowing 16-year-olds to run for local elections, and electing six MPs under the age of 30 to Parliament.
He emphasised the importance of intergenerational collaboration and reiterated the responsibility to create opportunities for young people to influence democratic life. The event was open to the public, fostering a rich exchange among parliamentarians, youth leaders, and senior officials on the topic of youth participation and policy-making.
The meetings in Malta gathered approximately 100 parliamentarians from across Europe, including the Assembly’s President and Vice-Presidents, the heads of parliamentary delegations from all 46 member states, and the chairs of the Assembly’s nine committees and five political groups.
