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1. Forthcoming policy developments

2. Ongoing debates

Forthcoming policy developments

The major top-level policy development in the youth field that is expected to be adopted in 2026 is the development of the 2nd National Strategy for Youth 2030. The process is coordinated by the Youth Board of Cyprus, which follows a participatory method for the consultation and involvement of all stakeholders. 

Another major policy reform is the Council of Ministers’ decision on 22 January 2025 to approve the bill lowering the voting age to 17 and introducing automatic voter registration on electoral lists. This reform aims to strengthen participatory democracy and increase youth engagement in political decision-making. The relevant legislation was approved by the Parliament on 23 May 2025. The new voting age of 17 will officially come into force on 1 July 2027.

Ongoing debates

As mentioned above, the major forthcoming development in youth policy for 2026 is the drafting of the 2nd National Youth Strategy 2030. During this process, ministries and agencies that participate in the cross-sectoral working group, as well as youth organisations and young people have an active role to play. Thus, several focus groups and consultations are currently organised in order to engage all the stakeholders in the youth field.