2.3 National strategy on youth volunteering
On this page
On this page
Existence of a National Strategy
Currently, there is no National Youth Volunteering Strategy.
The Youth Policy Implementation Plan 2016-2020, which is the main policy planning document, highlights volunteering as one of the tools to ensure youth participation. The new youth policy-planning document for the period 2021-2027 is currently under development, but it also will include volunteering as one of the priorities of youth work for the next planning period.
Scope and contents
The Youth Policy Implementation Plan 2016 – 2020 sets the following tasks related to the development of voluntary work: to popularize the benefits of volunteering especially voluntary work carried out in public benefit organisations, to promote motivation of young people to participate in volunteering, to develop information system on volunteering opportunities, to organise informative seminars on volunteering and other opportunities in Europe within the EU programmes.
Responsible authority
The competent institution responsible for volunteering is the Ministry of Welfare while the State Employment Agency, which is subordinated to the Ministry, is the main administrative body whose responsibility is data collection and facilitation of voluntary work in Latvia.
In accordance with the Law of Voluntary Work, the Ministry of Welfare has set a regulatory framework of the organisation and implementation of voluntary activities. Information on voluntary activities is available on the portal: www.brivpratigais.lv.
Revisions/ Updates
The Law of Voluntary Work adopted on 18 June 2015 was amended in 2017.
Article 3. Organisers of volunteering activities were amended as follows:
The following have the right to organise voluntary work: 1) associations and foundations, including trade unions and their associations;
2) state and local government institutions; 3) political parties and their associations; 4) social enterprises.
Social enterprises were added to those that have the right to organise volunteering activities.
The law entered into force on April 1, 2018.