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1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

The main actor involved in policy making in the field of social inclusion of young people is the Social Welfare Services (Υπηρεσίες Κοινωνικής Ευημερίας) of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare (Υφυπουργείο Κοινωνικής Πρόνοιας). The Deputy Ministry was established at the end of 2021. Some of the responsibilities of the new authority are the creation of programmes towards social inclusion and improved level of living for all, including the Social Welfare Services, the Department for Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities and the Welfare Benefits Management Service. In general, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare aims to provide all citizens equal access opportunities to social services, through which it aims to support individuals and families. Moreover, in December 2024, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare employed more than 40 social workers, who are based in Local Authorities nationwide after the successful pilot implementation of the "Neighborhood Social Worker" programme. This initiative focuses on supporting vulnerable people including children and young people through mentoring, guidance, training sessions, and personalized assistance. The next step is to proceed with its nationwide expansion and further strengthen the social inclusion of vulnerable children and youth.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance ( Υπουργείο Εργασίας και Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων) is also a major actor in social inclusion, since its mission is to promote social justice within a free democratic system based on the pillars of social cohesion and social inclusion. The Ministry works on the maintenance and continuous improvement of the standard of living and the quality of life of the working population and of society in general. Through the ‘Incentive Scheme for the Employment of Young People aged 15 to 29 who are Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEETs) combined with two-month training’, which runs since 2021, the Ministry aims to combat unemployment among young people aged 15 to 29 years old and create inclusive employment and training opportunities.

Apart from the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, the following public actors are also involved in  policy-making regarding young people’s social inclusion:

The Ministry of Interior (Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών) focuses to formulate and implement human-centered policies in relation to local government, civil registration, housing and migration governance. The Ministry has taken specific steps toward migrant integration and social inclusion, through the management of EU resources under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), practically supporting young people from migrant backgrounds or at risk of exclusion. Specifically, the Ministry supports co-funded projects such as Greek language programmes, preparatory education measures and integration actions for third-country national minors and young adults, strengthening their access to education, employment and social participation.

The Deputy Department of Migration and International Protection (Υφυπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Διεθνούς Προστασίας), established in 2024, is responsible to promote social cohesion policies and practices through the adoption of various methodologies and mechanisms, including children and youngsters, with particular attention to young migrants and their integration into education and training systems, regardless of their cultural and/or religious background.

The Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth (MESY) (Υπουργείο Παιδείας, Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας) is responsible for education, sport and youth policy. The Ministry implements targeted inclusion measures through the programme ‘Actions for Social and School Inclusion+ (DRA.SE.+)’ (Δράσεις Σχολικής και Κοινωνικής Ένταξης- ΔΡΑ.Σ.Ε.+), which has been operating in public schools since 2015, and is now in its second cycle of implementation. The programme supports students and families living below or at risk of poverty and social exclusion, strengthens assistance to economically vulnerable groups, particularly students with a migrant background. For more information, see section 4.4 – Inclusive Programmes for young people. 

Also, a dedicated body for youth, the Youth Board of Cyprus (Οργανισμός Νεολαίας Κύπρου) runs under the MESY and is responsible for advising the Minister and the Council of Ministers on youth issues, including those related to social inclusion. In addition, the Cyprus Sports Organization (Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Αθλητισμού) which is also connected to the MESY is responsible for the empowerment of the sports culture in the country. Specifically, under the programme “Sport for All” («Αθλητισμός Για Όλους»), the organization contributes to increasing youth participation in physical activity, fostering social integration, teamwork and equal opportunities, including for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The  Ministry of Health (Υπουργείο Υγείας), works towards the continuous improvement of the health of the population of Cyprus, through the prevention of disease, and the provision to every citizen of high level health care, respecting the rights of every patient to high-quality medical care delivered with dignity. The initiative ‘School Health’ run by the Ministry of Health provides preventive health services to all students in all Primary, Secondary, and Secondary-Technical schools throughout Cyprus, intending to maintain and promote their health in an inclusive manner.

The Office of the Commissioner for Gender Equality (Γραφείο Επιτρόπου για την Ισότητα των Φύλων), is mandated to design, monitor and promote gender equality policies across government, including education and public awareness actions that can affect young people’s access to opportunities free from gender‑based discrimination. The Office coordinates the National Strategy for Gender Equality (2024-2026) and collaborates with ministries and civil society to integrate gender‑aware approaches in policymaking, which can enhance inclusive participation for girls and boys in education, work and civic life.

The Office of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights (Επίτροπος Προστασίας των Δικαιωμάτων του Παιδιού), is responsible to protect and promote the rights of the child. The Office work includes representing children’s interests, monitoring legislation, raising public awareness, and ensuring children can be heard in legal and policy processes. The initiative ‘Young Advisory Group’ (Ομάδα Εφήβων Συμβούλων- ΟΕΣ), established by the Commissioner in 2010 and legally reinforced in 2014, brings together 30 children annually to provide input on issues affecting them, receive training on their rights, and participate in decision-making processes. The group is also involved in the European Network of Young Advisors (ENYA), and engages with peers across Europe, raising young people’s voices on child rights and promoting their active social inclusion.

In addition, there are some non-public actors that participate in the development of policies in the field of social inclusion, with youth perspectives to be incorporated through their members. First of all, the trade unions (e.g. Pancyprian Federation of Labour, Democratic Labour Federation of Cyprus (ΔΕΟΚ), Cyprus Worker’s Confederation (SEK-ΣΕΚ) which are important social partners in Cyprus, as well as employers’ organisations (OEB, KEBE). NGOs that represent various groups of people, including young people with disabilities (such as the Pancyprian Council for Persons with Disabilities, enaemeis) also participate in the social dialogue for policies in the field of social inclusion and welfare.

Although, municipal and community youth councils can prepare action plans and propose youth‑focused initiatives, they lack delegated authority to implement social inclusion programmes independently and must rely on central government approval. As a result, responsibilities remain largely at the top level, with little distribution of powers to regional or local authorities. This centralised structure can limit the responsiveness and adaptability of youth inclusion policies to the specific needs and contexts of local communities.

Cross-sectorial cooperation

A mechanism of cross-sectorial cooperation has been set up for the Strategy for Social Policy 2022-2027 (Στρατηγική για την Κοινωνική Πολιτική 2022-2027) between Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in defining policies and measures on social inclusion. In particular, for the development of the Strategy for Social Policy, the Social Welfare Services, as the competent coordinating authority for social protection and integration issues, worked closely with representatives of the two main categories of partners:

• Ministries/ Services and Local Authorities and                                                                       
• Social partners and civil society.

The same stakeholders are represented in the Cross‑sectoral Working Group on Youth, which supports implementation of the National Youth Strategy 2017–2022. The Working Group is coordinated by the Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC), which is responsible for submitting youth empowerment policy proposals to the state and for ensuring that young people’s perspectives inform policy design. The YBC engages young people directly through specialised surveys, consultations, Advisory Bodies, the Annual Youth Summit, and the National Group of EU Youth Dialogue, while also supporting Municipal and Community Youth Councils to promote dialogue between youth and local authorities. Through these mechanisms, both youth and youth NGOs are actively involved in cross-sectoral consultations, helping to ensure that social inclusion policies reflect the needs and priorities of young people.