2.2 Administration and governance of youth volunteering
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Governance
The Office of the Commissioner for the Citizen (Γραφείο Επιτρόπου του Πολίτη) is a governmental institution tasked with promoting citizen rights and improving public service delivery, acting as a bridge between the government and citizens. Among its other duties and responsibilities, is also responsible for the support and empowerment of the role of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the supervision and management of the infrastructure created to support the work of NGOs, as well as the contribution to the implementation of government policies and decisions for the validation of knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through non-formal and informal learning. Also, the Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC), as the national authority for youth affairs in Cyprus and coordinator of the National Youth Strategy (2017-2022), is the other public actor involved, since one of the eight policy fields of the National Youth Strategy is ’’ Volunteerism’’.
In addition, the promotion of volunteerism takes place in consultation with non-public actors such as the local NGOs. One of the main non-public actors in volunteering is the Pancyprian Volunteerism Coordinative Council (PVCC). The PVCC was founded in 1973, when there was a need for coordination amongst the voluntary organisations, development of policy for the voluntary sector and social policy consultation with the voluntary sector and cooperation with governmental authorities. Recognising the vital role of the Council, the State decided to provide a legal framework (the Pancyprian Welfare Council Law (152/89)) for its operation. In 2001 it was recognized that there was a need to further upgrade the legal framework of the PVCC, in order to respond to its role and mission more effectively. In 2006, the House of Representatives passed a new legislation that governs “the establishment and function of the Pancyprian Volunteerism Coordinative Council (PVCC). Under this legislation, the Council has had a new operational framework, new responsibilities and a broader role for the coordination and development of the voluntary sector and volunteerism in general. As stated in their official website, “the dialogue between the PVCC and the State takes place at various levels, through meetings, participation of PVCC’s representatives in Committees and through PVCC’s activities that promote dialogue and cooperation with the state officials, the legislative and executive power”.
There is not a distribution of responsibilities between top-level and regional/local authorities.
No cooperation has been established yet with volunteering systems of other countries in order to exchange information and identify best practices.
Cross-sectoral cooperation
Cross-sectoral cooperation takes place in an organic way. By 2024, the only available mechanisms of structured cross-sectorial cooperation in youth volunteering policies are found through the National Youth Strategy and the cross-sectoral working group with representatives from the Youth Board of Cyprus, the Ministries, Semi-governmental Organizations, Services/Authorities and the Commissioners (see 1.5 Cross-sectoral approach with other ministries).