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1. Structure of Decision-making

2. Main Themes

3. The National Agency for Youth

4. Policy monitoring and evaluation

Structure of Decision-making

Youth policymaking in Cyprus takes place at central government level. The top-level authority responsible for policy-making in the youth field is the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth. However, the ministry itself does not manage youth issues. Instead, it has under its auspices the Youth Board of Cyprus which constitutes the national agency dealing with youth issues and youth policy in the country. Many more institutional actors are involved in youth policy issues and have been formally involved in the development and implementation of the National Youth Strategy, as members of the Cross-Sectoral Working Group for Youth. These include the following:

The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment aims at promoting sustainable development for agriculture and fishing, while contributing to environmental protection and sustainable management of both the environment and Cyprus’ natural resources through projects, initiatives and actions. With regard to social inclusion, the ministry aims to ensure a better quality of life for current and future generations.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Order is responsible for the close review and consideration of the need to reform existing legislation in the wide field of public and private law, such as criminal law, legislation that falls within the general concept of the administration of justice, family law, legislation in the fields of equality, human rights, the treatment of offenders and others. 

The mission of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry is to implement an integrated strategy for the transition to a green economy via a multidimensional action plan for green energy, a smart and environmentally friendly industry, the enhancement of commerce and exports and the sustainable development of hydrocarbon resources.

The Ministry of Interior (“Υπουργείο Εσωτερικών”) whose mission is to promote a sustainable and balanced development through an integrated economic, social and environmental strategy, in a way that promotes the safety and quality of citizens’ life.

The Ministry of Finance, whose mission is to ensure conditions of macroeconomic stability and the sound management of resources and financial obligations of the state, in order to improve the quality of life of every citizen of the Republic.

The Ministry of Health, whose mission is continuous improvement of the health of the population of Cyprus through the prevention of disease and provision to every citizen of high level health care, respecting the rights of every patient to high quality medical care delivered with dignity.

The Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Insurance, whose mission is the promotion of social justice within a free democratic system based on the pillars of social cohesion and social inclusion, the maintenance and continuous improvement of the standard of living and the quality of life of the working population and of society in general.

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, whose mission is the design and implementation of policies for the continuous improvement of transport (air, maritime and land) and communications, as well as the continuous upgrading of the quality of projects implemented by the ministry. In addition, the better promotion and exploitation of archaeological wealth as well as other resources of the country is pursued.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the main actor responsible for the exercise of the State's foreign policy, has as its mission the safeguarding and promotion of the interests and rights of the Republic of Cyprus and its citizens, as well as the Republic's contribution to international efforts to promote peace, stability and security.

The Ministry of Defence is responsible for putting into effect government policy regarding the security and territorial integrity of Cyprus. In the framework of this policy, the Ministry of Defence has promoted a series of measures which aim at strengthening the defence forces and the capability of the republic to thwart any foreign threat and at the same time boost our negotiating ability. With consistency and high feeling of responsibility, the Ministry of Defence promotes the application of this policy.

Apart from the eleven above-mentioned ministries, five (5) Deputy Ministries which have been established based on the provisions of relevant laws are operating and are involved in decision making with regard to youth affairs. 

1. Deputy Ministry of Shipping

2. Deputy Ministry of Tourism

3. Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Strategy

4. Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare

5. Deputy Ministry of Culture

Moreover, the following institutions/agencies are involved:

The Cyprus Sports Organization  (“Κυπριακός Οργανισμός Αθλητισμού”)  under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and is the competent authority for sports in Cyprus.

The Cyprus Theatre Organization  under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and is responsible for the theatre in the country.

The Commissioner for Children’s Rights whose mission is to protect and promote the rights of the child. Their role is to represent children and their interest at all levels, to promote public awareness and sensitivity so that children’s rights in the family, at school, in the community are safeguarded and to identify and promote the views of children where they themselves cannot be heard, to monitor legislation relating to children and to submit proposals aiming at their harmonization with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to carry out public awareness campaigns, to appoint a representative of the child in judicial proceedings affecting him/her and to represent children in procedures affecting them.

The Commissioner for Citizen (“Γραφείο Επιτρόπου του Πολίτη”) who implement policies to encourage active citizenship and participative governance at all levels.

The Presidential Commissioner who is responsible for Cypriots living abroad or in the occupied part of the country, missing people and religious minorities.

The Commissioner for Environment (“Γραφείο Επιτρόπου Περιβάλλοντος”) whose role is to propose suggestions and put in place policies for the environment.

The Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization whose main responsibility is the payment and the management of funds, which Cyprus is entitled to for the agricultural sector after its entry to the European Union, as well as the management of all other aid granted from national funds to support farming and rural areas.

The Human Resource Development Authority (Αρχή Ανάπτυξης Ανθρώπινου Δυναμικού) which aims at creating the prerequisites for planned and systematic training and development of the human resources of Cyprus at all levels and in all areas to meet the needs of the economy within the framework of the social and economic policy of the state.

The Cyprus National Addictions Authority is the supreme coordinating body in the field of licit and illicit addictive substances and pathological gambling in Cyprus, and, since November 2017, has been the successor of the Cyprus Anti-Drugs Council (2000).

The Foundation for the Management of European Lifelong Learning Programmes is the National Agency for the EU Programmes Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps . 

Main Themes

The themes addressed by the National Youth Strategy 2017-2022 were chosen based on the themes addressed by the former EU Youth Strategy 2010-2018 as described in Section 1.3.

In order to gain adequate understanding of the actual needs of young people, the Youth Board of Cyprus has commissioned research on the current situation of young people in Cyprus (available only in Greek). The research was conducted in 2015 and covers the 8 themes of the National Youth Strategy and the former EU Youth Strategy. Additionally, the Youth Board of Cyprus, when preparing the National Youth Strategy, has gathered additional data about the situation of young people in Cyprus from the Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus, Eurostat and the European Youth Report.

Since 2020, the Youth Board has been conducting on an annual basis the Youth Barometer survey (“Νεοβαρόμετρα”), whose results also serve as a source of identification of the main needs and concerns of young people. 

The National Agency for Youth

The Youth Board of Cyprus is the government agency established to address youth issues, design and manage youth related programmes and initiatives, support both individuals and entities in availing themselves of funding opportunities, as well as producing and disseminating information on youth policies and opportunities. The Youth Board of Cyprus was established in 1994 as a legal entity of public law. It operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth which is the top-level authority primarily responsible for youth in Cyprus.

With regard to the role and responsibilities of  the Youth Board of Cyprus, according to the Youth Board Law (available only in Greek), its administrative board shall advise, through the Minister of Education,  Sport and Youth, the Council of Ministers about the configuration of a comprehensive and specialized policy on youth matters, which should promote the following aims of the Board:

1. The progress and welfare of all young people of Cyprus, regardless of nationality or religion

2. The provision of equal opportunities to all young people and youth organizations for the participation and the assumption of responsibility in the social, economic and cultural development and progress of their community and the country in general

3. The engagement and recreation of young people of Cyprus

4. The immediate and effective confrontation of the problems of the young people.

Moreover, the Αdministrative Βoard of the Youth Board of Cyprus shall (among its other aims):

1. Study, work out and suggest to the Council of Ministers a unified policy or specialized projects regarding youth matters

2. Undertake the implementation of programmes regarding youth upon the approval of the Council of Ministers

3. Be informed on youth matters by the competent services of the Ministries concerned and set out to the government its views in relation to these matters

4. Participate in international youth organizations’ meetings and develop bilateral contacts with respective youth bodies of other countries in order to be informed regarding the international development youth matters

5. Stipulate protocols/programmes of cooperation with corresponding youth bodies of other countries for the achievement of the Board’s aims

6. Suggest, in consultation with other state agencies, the conduction of scientific studies concerning the needs of young people and measures for their fulfilment.

The Minister of Education, Sport and Youth has the authority:

1. To issue and provide the Administrative Board of the Youth Board of Cyprus with directives, general in nature, regarding the exercising of its functions, that are necessary for the general interest of the Republic of Cyprus;

2. To ask the Administrative Board to submit reports, accounts and any other information relative to the Youth Board’s assets and activities. By virtue of this paragraph, the Administrative Board is obliged to provide the Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth anything he asks for, as well as the relevant books, documents and any other facility necessary for their check.

3. The minister shall be the contact person between the Administrative Board and the Council of Ministers and any document intended for the Council of Ministers shall be submitted for this purpose to the minister.

With regard to the established lines of accountability, the Youth Board, as a legal entity of public law, is subject to annual checks of the Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus. Moreover, according to the Youth Board Law, the Administrative Board shall prepare in the form of a bill the Youth Board’s budget, which is subject to the approval of the Council of Ministers and is submitted to the House of Representatives to be voted as a law. The Youth Board shall keep suitable books and accounts as defined by the Minister of Finance.

The budget of the Youth Board of Cyprus for 2023 is published in the Cyprus Government Gazette. The approved budget for 2023 was €19.393.696. It should be noted that this budget included the EU Funding for the management of EU Programmes “Erasmus+ Youth” and “European Solidarity Corps”. According to the Decision 94.333 of the Council of Ministers on 8.2.2023, the management of the EU Programmes “Erasmus+ Youth” and the “European Solidarity Corps” was assigned to the Foundation for the Management of European Lifelong Learning Programmes, which already acted as the National Agency of Erasmus+ in the fields of Education, Training and Sports. 

Policy monitoring and evaluation

The Youth Board of Cyprus recognized the need for setting up a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of the National Youth Strategy 2017-2022. This mechanism aims at ensuring the policy monitoring and evaluation. It is based on a cross-sectoral cooperation which includes all partners mentioned in the section 1.4 ‘Structure of the decision-making’ and the Cyprus Youth Council. The Youth Board of Cyprus is coordinating this mechanism.

Two three-year Action Plans were drafted for the implementation of the NYS (2017-2019 and 2020-2022). The Action Plans consist of the specific actions, as well as their budget, and provide a detailed outline of the NYS implementation mechanism, in order for the targets and priorities that have been set to be achieved within six years. The Action Plans also identify the necessary indicators that will measure the impact of the strategy.

The monitoring of the policy takes place through progress reports and consultations with young people. The Youth Board of Cyprus, based on the contribution received by all government actors involved in the Strategy, prepared the first progress report (A’ Έκθεση Προόδου) regarding the implementation results of the first Action Plan 2017-2019. In addition, the Youth Board of Cyprus, organized in total nine consultations with young people living in urban and rural areas with an aim to evaluate the first Action Plan, provide feedback and suggest new programmes or modifications to the existing ones so that they can be included in the second Action Plan. The second Action Plan (2020-2022) and the first Progress Report were submitted to the Council of Ministers via the Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth and approved in February 2021.With the completion of the Strategy 2017-2022, the Youth Board has commissioned an external independent evaluation of the strategy which will serve as a basis for the design of the upcoming Strategy 2030.