Youth Policy in Malta

Youth Policy in Malta falls under the responsibility of central authorities. The core responsibility lies with the Ministry of Education and Employment and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth, Sport and Voluntary Organisations. However, due to its transversal nature different Ministries are responsible for particular policy fields that affect young people. 

Up to the early 1990s Malta had no coherent youth policy, it had education policies, health policies, culture policies and other policies that directly or indirectly affect young people, but a standalone youth policy was missing. 

In 1991 the National Youth Council – Kunsill Nazzjonali Żgħażagħ (KNŻ) –  was set up. A year later, in 1992, the Institute for Youth Studies was established at the University of Malta. The following year in 1993, the then newly established Ministry for Youth and Art published the first youth policy document. Since then the document has been revised five times, each time reflecting more the realities of young people's lives at the time. 

In 1998 the Maltese Association of Youth Workers (MAY) was set-up.

In 2010 Aġenzija Żgħażagħ, the Maltese National Youth Agency, was set up and has since been the implementing arm of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth. One of main aims of the agency is the coordination of the implementation youth policy.

The latest version of the National Youth Policy entitled Towards 2020: A shared vision for the future of young people, was published in 2015.  Catering for all young people between 13 and 30 years old the document has two main aims. First to support and encourage young people in fulfilling their potential and aspirations while addressing their needs and concerns. Second to support young people as active and responsible citizens who fully participate in and contribute to the social, economic and cultural life of the nation, Europe and beyond.