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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Iceland

Iceland

2. Voluntary Activities

2.10 Current debates and reforms

Last update: 28 November 2023

There is an on-going debate in Iceland about youth policy which covers, in part, the youth volunteering sector. In 2015 The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture approved the policy set forward by the Youth Advisory Board which had been under development for at least four years. The youth policy is focused on the factors that contribute to the necessary structure and development within the sector in Iceland. The policy defined seven main objectives to be aimed at in the coming years. The policy was worked on by the board in collaboration with various parties in the fields of youth and sports.

At the moment work is under way to establish a policy for the non-profit and NGO sector to clarify roles and the legal framework. This will affect organisations working in the youth volunteering field. This policy is being worked on in collaboration with the sector.

As has been demonstrated in chapter two there is very little legal framework around youth volunteering and no legislation that covers the topic. The non-profit and NGO sector has been pushing for a debate on youth policies and a clear policy/strategy from the government on youth issues. This includes discussions on youth volunteering. As more focus is being put on youth policies in Iceland and the necessity for a clear legal framework for the sector, it is hoped that more will be done in the future on the political and governmental field to promote youth volunteering and its importance for youth.