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1. Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the domestic level

2. Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the international level

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the domestic level

The Youth Board of Cyprus Law includes legal provisions and guidelines on youth consultation, as described in section 5.4 “Young people's participation in policy-making”.

Regarding the exchanges on global issues between young people and policymakers at domestic level, youth consultations were held on a regular basis towards the end of 2018 for monitoring the National Youth Strategy 2017-2022 which dedicates a field of action on Youth and the World. Based on the YBC’s 2019 Annual Report, the outcomes were compiled in a Conclusions Report which presents 64 proposals by young people on new measures and 35 suggestions for improving current measures. The Report was the outcome of structured dialogue procedures, which were attended by 150 young people and representatives of Youth Clubs, Municipal and Community Youth Councils, the Cyprus Youth Council and the Cyprus Children’s Parliament. The consultations took place all over Cyprus.

In addition, according to the YBC’s 2020 Annual Report, following the adoption of the “Next Generation EU” Recovery Fund by the EU member state leaders on 21 July 2020, the YBC organised an online consultation with young people on 18 September 2020 to collect suggestions on reforms and actions that need to be taken, which the YBC submited to decision-making bodies. The online consultation was attended by 30 young people from across Cyprus, who had the opportunity to discuss and submit their proposals and suggestions for the creation of a national plan on the following four topic areas:

1. Job market, social policy, education, and human capital
2. A digital era of efficiency and productivity
3. Acceleration in forming a green economy
4. New development model and economic diversification.

The outcomes of the above consultations are available on the Policy Department website (Απορρέοντα ηλεκτρονικής διαβούλευσης του ΟΝΕΚ με τη νεολαία για το εθνικό πλάνο ανάκαμψης στοπλαίσιο του “Next Generation EU”).

However, among the society of active citizens, there are various opportunities for young people, youth workers and policy makers under the Erasmus+ Programme (especially through the action “youth participation activities”) for exchanging views and recommendations on key topics that concern young people on global level.

Moreover, the EU Youth Dialogue facilitates the discussion and the exchange of views on global issues. More specifically, the YBC’s 2021 Annual Report mentions that 17 consultation meetings took place in 2021, attended by 168 people in total. In addition, various events were organised, aiming to promote Dialogue, as well as meetings among the National Working Group members to plan actions and analyse the consultations’ outcomes. All EU member states which have a National Working Group for EU Youth Dialogue are involved in this process. In Cyprus, the National Working Group consists of representatives of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, the Youth Board of Cyprus and the Cyprus Youth Council, which holds the coordinating role.

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at the international level

The Youth Board of Cyprus is run by a seven-member Administrative Board which consists of youth representatives. As the competent national authority on youth issues: (a) it participates in international youth organizations’ meetings and develops bilateral contacts with respective youth bodies of other countries in order to be informed regarding the international development youth matters; (b) It stipulates protocols/programmes of cooperation with corresponding youth bodies of other countries for the achievement of the Board’s aims and (c) it funds the participation of young people and youth representatives for their participation in international forums through the funding scheme ‘’Youth and the World’’ (Νέοι καιΚόσμος). Moreover, the National Youth Strategy, under the priority “International cooperation in the field of youth”, sets the following objectives: (a) Active involvement in shaping advances and processes which take place at international youth policy-making centres; (b) Developing and maintaining Youth Board of Cyprus’ relations with the international community and promoting the Organization abroad; with a view to enhancing cooperation in the youth field. In this way, participation in international seminars and workshops, representation in international forums and conferences as well as memberships in international organisations is considered important.

Based on the recent Annual Reports of the Youth Board of Cyprus (YBC), the Board members and staff of the YBC participated in the following international activities on global issues affecting young people: The Working Groups on Youth Related Issues that are held during each Presidency of the European Council, as well as  the European Youth  Conferences and the General Directors’ meetings that are hosted by each Presidency.

The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ): The YBC participates at the meetings of the Steering Committee for Youth of the Council of Europe twice a year, where policies and other youth related issues are discussed and strategies are put forward in the member states. 

The European Knowledge Centre on Youth Policy (EKCYP) of the Council of Europe : The YBC contributed to the work of the European Knowledge Centre through collecting and disseminating data and exchanging good practices on youth-related policies. 

International conventions and forums organised by the United Nations (UN, as the UN youth policies and initiatives are taken into serious consideration by the YBC in its National Youth Strategy. Specifically, in 2024, a youth representative, with the support of the  YBC participated in the Youth Forum 2024 which was hosted by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime on the sidelines of the 67th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). 

Commonwealth: In 2023 the YBC participated on the 10th Commonwealth Youth Minister’s Meeting (CWYMM) in London. Cyprus was represented by the President and a member of the YBC Board. Under the theme: ‘Aiming Higher: Delivering More for Young People in the Commonwealth’, the meeting examined the themes of education, employment, environment and engagement.. 

On 29 February – 1 March 2024, the informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for education and youth took place in Brussels. The meeting brought the ministers together to discuss and identify points of convergence or common interests, and to pave the way for possible avenues for discussion or collaboration in the future. The Minister of Education, Sport and Youth of Cyprus, pointed out that there is a need to take into account different approaches of the Member States to the issue of mobility but also the respective challenges they face, as well as the need to exchange good practices, with the aim of facilitating mobility and avoiding the creation of additional obstacles in this process. The Minister also spoke about the culture that has been formed in Cyprus for studying abroad and underlining the benefits gained by both students and the society. On the sidelines of her visit to Brussels, the Minister co-signed with her Austrian counterpart, a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of Education (Συμμετοχή της Υπουργού στην Άτυπη Συνάντηση Υπουργών Παιδείας της ΕΕ).

The Office of European and International Affairs in cooperation with the Office of the European Parliament in Cyprus also organises educational visits to the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg with the participation of students.

Moreover, the 9th  Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference was held in Nicosia, Cyprus from 5 to 7 October 2022. The Conference was organized by the Republic of Cyprus with the support of UNECE. The conference’s main themes were Sustainable Infrastructure, Sustainable Tourism and Education for Sustainable Development.