In France, youth policies encompass all actions aimed at supporting young people throughout their transition towards autonomy. They are based on a comprehensive approach that takes into account the various dimensions of young people’s lives, including education, training, social and professional integration, housing, health, safety, educational, sports and cultural activities, mobility, as well as civic engagement. In particular, they seek to promote equal opportunities and reduce social and territorial inequalities in young people’s pathways towards autonomy.

Given their cross-cutting nature, youth policies involve several areas of public action and require coordination across different levels of governance. At the national level, their implementation is primarily overseen by the Directorate for Youth, Non formal Education and Voluntary organisations (Direction de la jeunesse, de l’éducation populaire et de la vie associative – DJEPVA), which is attached to the ministry responsible for youth affairs. The DJEPVA contributes to defining national policy priorities, coordinating youth public policies, and monitoring their implementation.

The cross-sectoral nature of youth-related issues also requires coordination between the various ministries involved. In this context, the Director of the DJEPVA also serves as the Interministerial Delegate for Youth (Délégué interministériel à la jeunesse – DIJ), with the aim of fostering intersectoral cooperation and ensuring the coherence of actions implemented by the various public stakeholders.

Finally, the implementation of youth policies relies heavily on territorial actors, who ensure their adaptation to local realities and the needs of young people. The State’s decentralised services, in particular the Regional Academic Delegations for Youth, Engagement and Sport (Délégations régionales académiques à la jeunesse, à l’engagement et aux sports – DRAJES) and the Departmental Services for Youth, Engagement and Sport (Services départementaux à la jeunesse, à l’engagement et aux sports – SDJES), contribute to the implementation of public policies in cooperation with local authorities, associations, non formal education organisations and other local stakeholders.