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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Latvia

Latvia

5. Participation

5.5 National strategy to increase youth participation

Last update: 23 November 2020
On this page
  1. Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation
  2. Scope and contents
  3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy
  4. Monitoring and evaluation
  5. Revisions/ Updates

Existence of a national strategy to increase young people's political and civil society participation

There is no strategy established in Latvia that would determine political and civil participation of young people, but other documents have been issued that establish promotion of participation in the field of youth work in the following years, for instance, see Chapter 5.1. Definitions and Concepts):

  • The Youth Law;

  • The Youth Policy Implementation Plan for 2016–2020;

  • Four strategic principles have been highlighted in the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030, which form the basis for the future of society in Latvia: creative activity, tolerance, cooperation and participation;

  • The National Development Plan for 2014–2020. 

Scope and contents

Information already specified in the description under Chapter 5.1.

Responsible authority for the implementation of the strategy

Information already specified in the description under Chapter 5.1.

Monitoring and evaluation

A regular monitoring research is being carried out under the youth policy since 2008 regarding the quality of life of young people, their engagement in volunteering, activities of youth organisations, access to information relevant for young people and other aspects of the youth policy. It provides an opportunity to evaluate the short-, mid-, and long-term success of the implemented policy, as the measurements are carried out on the basis of similar methodology and instruments.

In autumn of 2013, collected articles “Youth in Latvia. Activity, Mobility, Participation. 2008-2013” were published, where the most significant conclusions of youth research conducted over five years have been collected providing contextual analysis in relation to the European Union Youth Strategy aspects and comparing the portrayal of young people in Latvia and other Member States of the European Union. In 2014, evaluation and update of the methodology of the monitoring methodology was carried out identifying the most important insufficiencies that have been observed by that time and possibilities for eliminating them. The monitoring research conducted in 2015 was carried out according to the research methodology and set of survey instruments developed within the said evaluation thus implementing unified methodology for all youth monitoring research to come; the next one is planned in 2017. Such monitoring ensures the possibility of identifying changes that take place along the implementation of the youth policy. The results not only help to obtain the data for the analysis of the policy impact, but also allow making conclusions on what directions and aspects of activity should be prioritised in the next policy planning stage.

Revisions/Updates

As there is no strategy established in Latvia that would determine political and civil participation of young people youth policy makers established The Youth Policy Implementation Plan for 2016–2020, to improve not only youth participation, but youth work as such.