On this page

1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

Governmental authority

The Central State Office for Demography and Youth (CSODY). Within the CSODY, there is the
Service for support to youth, which is part of the Sector for support to youth
and parenting.

The CSODY performs administrative and professional duties aimed at improving the quality of life for young people. This includes building an integral, comprehensive, and inter-departmental youth policy, recommending and implementing strategic documents, laws and other acts, as well as programmes and projects in the field of youth policies. The CSODY also monitors and evaluates these initiatives, especially in the areas of youth partnership inclusion in the decision-making process, informal education, leisure time and youth culture and civil society development participation, political participation, mobility, and ensuring quality and regular support for the organised youth sector and its activities. 

Public actors

• The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs is the key government body for all matters of foreign politics and international relations
• The Ministry of Science and Education (MSE) is tasked with creating prerequisites for the free movement of students, professors, scientists, and researchers in the sphere of higher education and science, which is in the spirit of the European policy of creating a uniform education and scientific area. International cooperation among educational, academic, and scientific institutions implies the exchange of various forms of scholarships in all categories, the implementation of joint (scientific-research) projects, and the organisation of international conferences and seminars.
• The Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy (MLPSFSP), Sector for the Coordination of European Affairs and International Cooperation is the focal point for the coordination and preparation of professional preparations and proposals for positions within the competence of the MLPSFSP. It is also a focal point in cooperation with other competent state administration bodies. Also, for other internal organisational units of the MLPSFSP and public institutions within the competence of the MLPSFSP, for the purpose of participating in the work of the European Union (EU) bodies and international initiatives and organisations with an emphasis on coordination of activities in the International Labour Organization, Council of Europe, and the United Nations.
• The Ministry of Culture and Media performs administrative and other tasks in the field of culture, including professional and administrative tasks for the Croatian Commission for UNESCO. Additionally, it fosters programmes aimed at meeting the cultural needs of the Croatian people in other countries.
• The State Office for Croats Abroad is a central state administration body competent for the relations between the Republic of Croatia and Croatians outside the Republic of Croatia.
• The Advisory Board for Youth of the Government of the Republic of Croatia is an interdepartmental advisory body of the Croatian Government with the mission to participate in the development of youth public policies. Advisory board monitors the work of ministries and other governmental bodies in implementing, monitoring, and evaluating youth policies. Furthermore, it monitors the development of youth-led and for youth associations, providing recommendations for the improvement of their operation and support system. It also makes recommendations for the development youth policies at the local, regional, national, and European levels. The board monitors and reacts to social incidences significant to youth. 
• The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes is a public institution within the MSE, responsible for implementing and promoting EU programmes and other international programmes in the fields of science, education, training, and youth:
• Erasmus+, aimed at enhancing the quality of education and training abroad
• Europass, including the Europass Curriculum Vitae and the Language Passport, facilitating a clear and easy understanding of skills and qualifications within Europe
• CEEPUS, the academic mobility programme
• Bilateral programmes, scholarship programmes in which partner countries award scholarships to Croatian citizens
• Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Centre for Youth and Gender Studies (CYGS), dedicated to the study of youth and women. The CYGS carries out research in the scientific fields of sociology, political science, and philosophy, with an emphasis on the interdisciplinary approach and the longitudinal monitoring of social phenomena and processes.

Non-public actors

• The Institute for the Development of Education edits a portal on scholarships, allowing young people to apply for educational scholarships within and outside of Croatia.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

The Advisory Board for Youth participates, among other things, in issuing opinions to the Government on draft regulations that are of particular importance for young people.

Members of the YC are representatives from relevant government bodies, scientific institutions, and county associations. 

Youth advisory boards

Youth advisory boards are advisory bodies of local and regional self-government units that promote and advocate for the rights, needs, and interests of young people at local and regional levels. They are established based on the Act on Youth Advisory Boards, and their members and deputy members are elected for a term of three years.