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

There exists no specific strategy focusing solely on youth participation, but participation is one of the pillars of the Flemish Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan. The Flemish Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan is a policy instrument of the Government of Flanders which bundles together the youth and children’s rights policies in Flanders. The Flemish Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan outlines in one single plan all the concerns regarding children and young people and their rights which the Flemish Ministers will pay heed to in their policies in the current legislative term. As laid down by decree, this must be done one year after the start of the Government’s term of office.  In 2020 the Government of Flanders presented for the fifth time a youth policy plan to the parliament (Vlaams Jeugd- en Kinderrechtenbeleidsplan 2020-2024; summary of the Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan 2015-2019 in English). Preparation of a new Youth and Children’s Rights Policy plan 2025-2029 has started.

The child and youth perspective and resulting from this specific objectives and / or actions related to children and young people are also given a place within the most relevant horizontal policy plans, including the Flemish Action Plan on Combating Poverty, the Flemish Climate Plan, the Horizontal Integration and Equal Opportunity Policy Plan, the Coordinated Flemish Volunteer Policy Action Plan, the Action Plan to Combat Sexual Violence, the Homeless People Action Plan and the Action Plan to Prevent Violent Radicalization, Extremism , Terrorism and Polarization.

Scope and contents

The Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan serves as an example of participatory policy with a strong involvement of children, young people, their organizations and experts. All objectives and actions start from the perspective of children, young people and their rights. Preparations for the current plan started in the spring of 2020 (preparations for the next plan have started in 2023). A debate on the big priorities resulted in 13 priority topics (e.g. reducing poverty, well-being, sustainable and safe neighborhoods, giving children and young people a voice, media literacy, combating discrimination). Based on the priority list, the Flemish Government selected five objectives for actions (see also 5.4).

The current Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan 2020-2024 pursues four large societal objectives for all children and young people up to and including the age of thirty: equal opportunities, broad development, space and greater involvement in society for all children and young people. This whole set of objectives, indicators, projects and processes constitutes the Flemish Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan 2020 — 2024 (see 5.5). 

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

The Government of Flanders is responsible for implementing the Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan and issued an interim report after two years. At the end of the Government’s term of office a final report will be drawn up.

Monitoring and evaluation

Two sets of indicators that measure the policy impact are stipulated in the Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan:

• The percentage of children and young people in Flanders that participate in a pupil council, a youth council and (children's) municipal council. 
• The percentage of children and young people in Flanders that are organizing members of an association

These indicators are measured by means of the Children Rights Monitor and the Youth Monitor. 

Revisions/Updates

The Youth and Children’s Rights Policy Plan 2020-2024 follows up the plan of 2014-2019 which was the first fully integrated youth and children’s rights policy plan. For the first time this plan included both the youth policy and the children’s rights policy. A new Youth and Children’s Rights Policy plan will cover the 2025-2029 period.