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1. Existence of a National Youth Strategy

2. Scope and contents

3. Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

4. Revisions/updates

Existence of a National Youth Strategy

The chapter on youth policy was for the first time incorporated as a separate part in the Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for 2004-2008. The provisions of this program aimed to encourage the cohesion of youth organizations, engage youth participation in the civil society , and improve policies in youth education, employment, housing, leisure and culture, social and health services, sports, crime prevention and youth local self-government. Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for 2008-2012 and Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania 2012-2016 also had chapters on youth policy. In order to implement the provisions and measures, provided in these programs in December 2010 the Government of Lithuania approved the National youth policy development program for 2011-2019 which established the main strategic goals of  the national youth policy. The Program of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania 2020 stresses youth participation, youth entrepreneurship and employment possibilities, regional development, and youth participation in culture and sports.

The action plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022. The main tasks of this action plan include: ensuring better employment opportunities for young people - promoting economic and social entrepreneurship of young people, creating favourable conditions for young people to actively participate in the labour market; encouraging young people to actively participate in public life and develop their civic competences; developing the existing and creating new spaces favourable to youth employment and education, and providing more opportunities for young people experiencing social exclusion; ensuring the necessary support for youth and organizations working with youth - to improve their organizational abilities, maintain their distinctiveness and the consistency of their activities; ensuring consistent monitoring of the youth situation, to form a youth policy based on facts and knowledge; and strengthening youth policy at the international and regional level.

Previously in 2021 The National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 was implemented, the aim of which was to identify measures to strengthen the implementation of youth policy at the national level, ensuring interdepartmental cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. 

An action plan for the implementation of the Youth Guarantee initiative is also being implemented, with the following objectives: identification of inactive young people, prevention of inactivity, implementation of initial intervention through early intervention and activation measures, and increased integration of young people into the labour market.

 Scope and contents

The action plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022. The main tasks of this action plan include: ensuring better employment opportunities for young people - promoting economic and social entrepreneurship of young people, to create favourable conditions for young people to actively participate in the labour market; encouraging young people to actively participate in public life and develop their civic competences; developing the existing and creating new spaces favourable to youth employment and education, and providing more opportunities for young people experiencing social exclusion; ensuring the necessary support for youth and organizations working with youth - to improve their organizational abilities, maintain their distinctiveness and the consistency of their activities; ensuring consistent monitoring of the youth situation, to form a youth policy based on facts and knowledge; and strengthening youth policy at the international and regional level.

The measures that were to be implemented previously in the framework of the National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 included:

• ensuring the development of a social security system that meets the various needs of young people;
• developing a conscious, civic, patriotic, mature, cultural and creative personality of a young person who is able to be an active part of a diverse society;
• developing and coordinating the youth work system and ensuring the development of youth employment infrastructure;
• facilitating the consistent and high-quality activities of young people and organizations working with young people in order to increase the involvement of young people in organized activities;
• ensuring the cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors in developing coherent, factual and knowledge-based youth policies;

Related national measures: 

1. Government Resolution on the Approval of the Development Program for the Reduction of Income Inequality  
2. 2021-2030 Development Program for the Reduction of Income Inequality - Measures 
3. Government Resolution on the Approval of the Development Program for the Development of a Suitable Environment for All People with Disabilities  
4. 2021-2030 Program for the Development of a Disability-Friendly Environment in All Areas of Life - Analysis  
5. 2021-2030 Program for the Development of a Accessible Environment for All in All Ways of Living 
6. Government Resolution on the Approval of the Inclusive Labor Market Development Program  
7. 2021-2030 Inclusive Labor Market Development Program (measures ) 
8. Government Resolution on the Approval of the Development Program for the Strengthening of Family Policy  
9. 2021-2030 Family Policy Strengthening Development Program - Analysis 
10. 2021-2030 Family Policy Strengthening Development Program - Measures 
11. Government Resolution on the Approval of the Social Inclusion Development Program 
12. 2021-2030 Social Inclusion Development Program - Analysis 
13. 2021-2030 Social Inclusion Development Program - Measures 

Previously the National youth policy development program for 2011-2019 was integrated into the overall national development policy. The National youth policy development program for 2011-2019, established the main strategic goals of the national youth policy. This Program gave priority to the improvement of the social inclusion of young people, with particular emphasis on young people not in employment, education and training (NEETs), the promotion of cross-sectorial cooperation as the underlying principle of integral youth policy, the exchange of good practices on social inclusion of young people and the promotion of the cooperation in the youth policy field between young people from European Union and Eastern Europe and Caucasus countries. The goals of ensuring better youth employment opportunities, creating favourable conditions for young people to participate in the labour market, promoting economic and social entrepreneurship, developing a non-formal education system, and encouraging youth creativity and active participation in society were also established by the National youth policy development program for 2011-2019. Furthermore, the National youth policy development program for 2011-2019 is aimed to ensure the development of social security, education and health care systems; develop a conscious, public-spirited, patriotic, mature, cultural and creative young individual, capable of being an active part of a diverse society; develop and coordinate the system of youth work and to ensure the development of youth employment infrastructure; create favourable conditions for consistent and high-quality activities of youth organisations and organisations working with youth; and ensure inter-institutional and cross-sectorial cooperation in developing coherent, fact and knowledge-based youth policy. 

Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy

The Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania is responsible for coordinating the implementation of national youth strategies (programmes and action plans). Earlier the Ministry had been implementing the National youth policy development program for 2011-2019 through Action Plan for the periods of 2014-2016 and the Action Plan for the period of 2017-2019. In each of the Action Plan's specific objectives, actions, terms of implementation, budget allocations and responsible institutions for its implementations are indicated. The National youth policy development action plan for 2020 was adopted in 2020. In 2021 The National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 was implemented, the aim of which is to identify measures to strengthen the implementation of youth policy at the national level, ensuring interdepartmental cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. Most recently the Action Plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022.

Responsible institutions for the implementation of the cross-sectorial Action Plans are the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Agriculture, the Drug Control Department under the Government of Lithuania, Lithuanian Labour Exchange, and Council of Youth Affairs. These institutions report to The Ministry of Social Security and Labor about the implementation of the strategies and action plans every year until February 1. 

Revisions/updates

Since its introduction, the National Youth Policy Development Program for 2011-2019 underwent a few revisions or updates. Firstly, the 2014-2016 Action Plan of the National Youth Policy Program for 2011-2019 development program has been reviewed and more focus is given to youth employment and volunteering as well as the development of youth centres and open spaces, regional youth policies and non-formal education. The 2015-2017 Regional Youth Policy Strengthening Plan has been approved and implemented. The National youth policy development action plan for 2020 was adopted on March 18, 2020. In 2021 The National Youth Policy Action Plan for 2021 was implemented, the aim of which is to identify measures to strengthen the implementation of youth policy at the national level, ensuring interdepartmental cooperation between the public, private and non-governmental sectors. The action plan of the National Youth Policy 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022.