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1. Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

4. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation

A document has been adopted in Lithuania since 2023, which can also be considered a national strategy for increasing youth participation. In July 2023, the Ministry of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of Lithuania approved the Action Plan of the National Youth Policy for 2023-2027 (hereinafter - the Plan), one of the goals of which is to ensure social inclusion, well-being and global citizenship education of young people. The first task of this goal: to develop the citizenship of young people by encouraging them to participate in the activities of youth organizations, voluntary activities and other civic activities. It is the main, all-encompassing, strategic public document that integrates the main directions that must be followed in the formation of youth policy at the national level in Lithuania, including the promotion of youth participation in public life. The plan also develops a vision of opportunities for young people to become active and motivated modern citizens of the state, capable of taking responsibility for themselves and creating a fulfilling life.

The purpose of the action plan is to identify measures for strengthening the implementation of the national youth policy, in order to ensure inter-agency cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors, to create the infrastructure necessary for the implementation of a coherent, fact-based and knowledge-based youth policy.

Scope and contents

The priority of the 2023-2027 action plan of the national youth policy is to improve the social inclusion of young people, paying particular attention to youth who are not working or not studying, promoting intersectoral cooperation as the main principle of social inclusion of young people, integral youth policy, exchange of best practices on social inclusion of young people and cooperation in youth policies promotion in the field.

According to the provisions of the Plan, better employment opportunities for young people will be ensured by creating favorable conditions for young people to participate in the labor market; economic and social entrepreneurship will be promoted and non-formal education will be developed in order to integrate formal and non-formal education; creativity of young people and active participation of young people in public life will be encouraged.

The goals and objectives of the program are as follows:

OBJECTIVE 1 - ENSURE SOCIAL INCLUSION, WELL-BEING AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION OF YOUTH:

1.1. The task is to develop the citizenship of young people, encouraging them to participate in the activities of youth organizations, voluntary activities and other civic activities

1.2. The task is to develop the system of work with youth, increasing the coverage and integration of young people with fewer opportunities and experiencing challenges into society, the education system and the labor market

1.3. The task is to promote a healthy lifestyle of young people, active leisure time and to develop various measures to ensure the strengthening of mental health of young people

1.4. The task is to strengthen relations with the youth of the Lithuanian diaspora, ensuring the implementation of Lithuanian state policies that meet their needs and the performance of community activities, with the aim of actively participating in solving issues relevant to Lithuania, and encouraging them to return or come to Lithuania

1.5. The task is to promote the involvement and empowerment of youth in the implementation of sustainable development goals, the green course, creating a sustainable relationship with the environment

1.6. The task is to strengthen the digital literacy and media literacy of young people, the resistance of young people to misinformation and hostile propaganda, segregation and radicalization

1.7. The task is to ensure youth mobility, international and intercultural dialogue, recognition in the world and representation of the interests of Lithuanian youth in the EU and international institutions and organizations

OBJECTIVE 2 – IMPLEMENT A GRADUALLY DEVELOPING, EFFECTIVE, YOUTH NEEDS-ORIENTED, EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH POLICY:

2.1. The task is to ensure the implementation of evidence-based and collaborative youth policy at the national level, increasing the involvement of social partners in making decisions relevant to young people

2.2. The task is to promote the even development of youth policy in the regions, increasing the opportunities for municipal institutions, institutions and employees to implement a youth policy that meets the needs of local youth

2.3. The task is to create and strengthen cooperation mechanisms between national authorities and municipalities, as well as between municipalities

OBJECTIVE 3 – AIM FOR SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF YOUTH INTO THE LABOR MARKET AND EDUCATION SYSTEM:

3.1. The task is to ensure young people's professional orientation, career planning, and increase their opportunities to improve their qualifications

3.2. The task is to increase the autonomy of young people and ensure their well-being by increasing opportunities for young people to buy or rent housing

3.3. The task is to promote the creativity and entrepreneurship of young people and increase their opportunities to successfully realize themselves in the labor market, taking into account regional development, future labor market trends, digitization and the green course

3.4. The task is to increase the integration of national minorities, migrants, war refugees and other youth groups experiencing social risk or exclusion into society by implementing youth policy measures that meet their needs

The plan covers a wide range of youth-related issues. The aim is to address the decline of the youth civic participation index reflected in the Lithuanian civic power index, as the PGI (civic power index) value of youth has fallen from 42.4 (2019) to 38.4 points (2022).

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

The implementation of the plan is coordinated by the Ministry of Social Security and Labor of the Republic of Lithuania. The plan contains specific goals, actions, implementation deadlines, budget allocations and the institutions responsible for their implementation. The institutions responsible for the implementation of the intersectoral action plan are the Youth Affairs Agency, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Agriculture , Employment Service.

Revisions/Updates

The Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2023-2027 has been reviewed, updated and changed several times since its introduction in July 2023. First, the Action plan of the National Youth Policy 2011-2019 Development Program 2014-2016 has been revised and focuses more on youth employment and volunteering, the development of youth centers and open spaces, regional youth policy and more. formal education. The Regional Youth Policy Strengthening Plan for 2015-2017 was approved and implemented. in 2022 the Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted. In 2019, the National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 was adopted.