In July 2016 the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the first Law on Youth, and that is when Montenegro, for the first time, had a law that ensured the implementation of joint policy in this area. However, in order to improve the planning and implementation of youth policy, by strengthening the institutional framework, empowering youth services in which young people can gain skills and knowledge that contribute to their personal and social development, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the new Law on Youth on April 4th 2019 ("Official Gazette of Montenegro, No. 025/19" from 30.04.2019). In addition to the abovementioned, the current Law specifies methods of constituting youth advisory bodies, at both national and local level, and also the implementation of youth policy by nongovernmental organizations, with a focus on their participation in the work of national and local advisory bodies.

Historical developments
 

One of the studies or research on youth work have been done in Montenegro. In 2007, Forum MNE conducted a study “Omladinski rad u Crnoj Gori” (Youth Work in Montenegro).
 

Faculty of Philosophy (University of Montenegro) and NGO Forum MNE were working on establishing Master Studies in Community Youth Work, within the framework of the TEMPUS IV project, Introduction and Implementation of Academic Programme in Community Youth Work (CYW) through Enhancing Inter-regional Cooperation in the Countries of Western Balkans. The memorandum of understanding on the TEMPUS IV project was signed by the former Directorate for Youth and Sports (now Ministry of Sports and Youth) and the project was implemented by Forum MNE and the Faculty of Philosophy. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the whole documentation for MA studies was developed and sent to the university, the programme was not accredited and due to lack of interest from the university the project was finalised without the result.
 

Forum MNE in co-operation with the Centre for Vocational Education (Ministry of Education) has completed the process of recognition of the vocation of Youth Activist (on a European level equal to Youth Leader) which will significantly contribute to the professionalization of youth work and enhance youth services at both national and local level. Additionally, it will provide an opportunity for young people who have no university education to be engaged in youth work in a responsible and professional manner. The vocation of Youth Activist was accredited by the Ministry of Education in March 2017, and since then, two generations have attended the programme for attaining vocation of Youth Activist. It consists of three trainings and three months of practice together with three exams, after which all the participants who successfully complete the programme are given the Youth Activist occupation certificate. Both times the programme was financed by the Ministry of Sports and Youth. More information regarding this matter is available upon request at: montenegro@forum-mne.com.
 

Youth work is not a recognised profession in Montenegro, there is no occupational standard, thus, there are no formal national recommendations, besides the definition and brief explanation of youth work within the Law on Youth and National Youth Strategy 2017-2021. However, the Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2017)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on youth work, and relevant EU Council Conclusions are available to NGOs in Montenegro, and those whose scope of work is mainly related to youth work implement them.
 

Besides the abovementioned, the standards of the youth activist occupation have also been adopted. Below are listed some of them:
 

- ensure quality in accordance with the standards in youth work;
- organise youth exchanges, festivals, events, campaigns, youth education camps, educational and entertainment programmes and leading info centres;
- devise and create project proposals in line with international recommendations and charters on the participation of young people in accordance with the needs of the communities in which they work;
- provide support initiatives for young people and children;
- detect, direct and use leadership potential in themselves and other young people and support participation in their communities.

National definition or understanding of Youth Work
 

The Government of Montenegro, on proposal of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, adopted the Program on achieving public interest in the field of youth policy for 2020. The Program is a special document recognized within the Law on Youth, which as such serves to carry out the public interest in the field of youth policies.
 

Public interest in the field of youth policy is to:
 

1)    create and improve youth policy;
2)    establish institutional framework for implementing youth policy;
3)    create and improve conditions for the work of youth services;
4)    foster proactive participation of the youth in creation and implementation of youth policy at state and local levels;
5)    educate the youth on mechanisms of their inclusion in active measures of employment;
6)    foster inclusion of the youth in the creation of cultural content;
7)    foster youth mobility;
8)    foster inclusion of the youth in the informal education;
9)    promote healthy lifestyles and volunteerism in youth;
10)     encourage other fields of significance for youth development.