Our LYMEC delegation under the careful guidance and direction of Marina Sedlo and Laia Comerma attended the annual ALDE Congress which took place in the Convention Centre in Dublin, Ireland over the first week of June.

The competent delegation worked tirelessly over a few weeks and put forward three resolutions.The first resolution was on a holistic approach to migration and asylum. It called for a serious revision of the current Dublin system, a human-rights based approach to dealing with migration which highlighted an ability to start the migration process outside of the EU and a shared outlook on integration and labour policy. Moreover, sufficient funding is needed to support migrants as well as a legal definition of climate refugees given the increasing effects of climate change. LYMEC has already written resolutions calling for the European Commission to thoroughly assess the migration processes in each member state and to ensure fair treatment of third country nationals.

The second focused on a harm reduction approach to drugs and called for ALDE and its member parties to support harm reduction initiatives which position the use of drugs as a public health issue as well as advocating for the use of medical cannabis under prescription. LYMEC has called for support in using drugs in specific medical and mental health situations using the right vocabulary and for more support in promoting harm reduction initiatives.

The third and final resolution explored the importance of mental health. The resolution calls for governments to provide the option of a psychologist on site in educational facilities, digital access to counselling and for mental health to be increasingly present in the work of ALDE and Renew in the European Parliament. LYMEC has called for the need to include young people in mental health policy, especially following the pandemic. Our previous resolutions have called on decision makers to include mental health in school curricula and the possibility of having exam formats changed for those suffering with mental health issues.

All three of our resolutions successfully passed with wide support from all present at Congress.

Other resolutions put forward by member parties focused on the war in Ukraine, the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, agriculture and global trade. LYMEC has worked closely with our Ukrainian friends to raise awareness and support about the war in Ukraine. We welcome the resolutions adopted at the ALDE Congress which called for a strengthening of support for Ukraine as well as an enhancement of the military capabilities to support those fighting the war on the frontline.

LYMEC has repeatedly called for the Spitzenkandidaten to be maintained and improved and therefore welcomes the resolution adopted in Dublin which calls for ALDE to re-join the Spitzenkandidaten system for the 2024 European elections. We believe that this will benefit us as a liberal family greatly when heading into the next European elections.

Another resolution passed focused on access to safe and legal abortion. It calls on the ALDE Party to advocate for more progressive and liberal sexual and reproductive rights, to advocate for the decriminalisation of abortion in all member states and to request institutions to ensure that all abortion counselling is impartial and factual. LYMEC supports this resolution, having carried out policy work and developing our own resolutions which calls for open discussions to be had amongst member states to allow for the provision of safe abortions.

The delegation brought forward several amendments and took the floor several times during the working groups. The majority of their amendments passed and their professionalism, expertise and confidence was met with great compliments from other delegations throughout the weekend.

The latest resolutions adopted at Congress can be found on the ALDE Party website. Should you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact [email protected] or [email protected].