Youth volunteering in Montenegro is governed by the Law on Voluntary Work (Official Gazette of Montenegro, No. 26/2010). The law defines volunteering as a voluntary and unpaid activity of public interest based on a formal agreement between a volunteer and a hosting organisation. It stipulates that organisers must maintain records of volunteer contracts and register volunteers for mandatory health and social insurance. The Employment Agency of Montenegro manages a central database of volunteer organisers, individual volunteers, and beneficiaries, based on data submitted by volunteering entities.

In July 2024, the Government of Montenegro established the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue, which assumed oversight of labour inspection, including the domain of volunteering. This institutional reform aimed to streamline and unify the functions of labour and health inspections previously divided between the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Health. The new structure is intended to ensure more efficient implementation and monitoring of legal provisions and field-level practices. 

Also, youth volunteering policy is coordinated by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, which since 2022 has taken over responsibilities related to youth from the former Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports. The ministry actively supports the development of youth volunteer programmes, funds local youth action plans, and leads coordination aligned with the National Youth Strategy 2023–2027.

At the local level, municipalities are responsible for adopting Local Youth Action Plans in accordance with the Law on Youth (Official Gazette of Montenegro, Nos. 25/2019 and 27/2019). These plans include measures to promote youth volunteerism and are aligned with national strategic goals. They serve as key instruments for the systematic development of volunteerism within local communities.

In line with the Law on Youth, youth policy is grounded in the principles of equality, volunteerism, solidarity, active participation, and access to information for young people. These principles, outlined in Article 7 of the Law, form the foundation for creating inclusive and empowering frameworks that support youth development and civic engagement.

In order to foster the development of youth policy, the Ministry of Sports and Youth has established the Youth Council as a professional and advisory body (Youth Council established). 

The Youth Council consists of a Chairperson and eight members. One member represents the administrative and technical staff responsible for the functioning of the Youth Services of Montenegro. The remaining members are representatives of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, and the Youth Network.

As an expert and advisory body, the Youth Council is tasked with:

• Providing recommendations to improve youth policy;

• Offering suggestions during the development of the Youth Strategy;

• Delegating a representative to participate in drafting laws relevant to youth affairs;

• Monitoring the status of young people and proposing measures for their advancement;

• Offering opinions on other youth-related matters upon request from the Ministry.

To further improve the institutional framework and promote volunteerism as a means of social inclusion and youth employment, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue — in cooperation with the Employment Agency and international partners — launched several public initiatives and support programmes in 2024 and 2025. These include capacity-building for NGOs, promotion of local volunteering services, and incentives for youth engagement in community development (Promotion of Volunteering and Volunteer Services).

By 2025, Montenegro has made significant progress in regulating, supporting, and supervising youth volunteering. The youth volunteering policy has been systematically integrated into national and local strategic documents. These efforts contribute to safer, more transparent, and effective volunteering practices in line with European standards and democratic principles.

Cross-sectoral co-operation

As of 2025, Montenegro does not yet have an official and institutionalised mechanism exclusively dedicated to cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of youth volunteering. Nevertheless, several institutional mechanisms and public policies contribute to inter-sectoral collaboration within the broader context of youth policy.

The Law on Youth,  (Official Gazette of Montenegro, Nos. 78/2019 and 30/2023) provides for the establishment of the National Youth Council, which is designed to bring together representatives of state institutions responsible for youth policy, education, employment, health, and social protection. In addition, it includes two representatives of youth NGOs and one from the Union of Municipalities of Montenegro. The purpose of this body is to support the development and coordination of youth policy at the national level.

At the local level, The Law on Youth (2019) introduced the concept of Local Youth Councils as advisory bodies at the municipal level, aimed at strengthening youth participation in local decision-making processes. These councils are composed of representatives of local authorities responsible for youth policy and representatives of non-governmental organizations implementing youth-related initiatives. At least one member must be a representative of youth-focused NGOs, selected through a public call supported by multiple organizations. The structure, selection process, and scope of work of these councils are regulated by a dedicated act adopted at the municipal level. At present,  Capital City of Podgorica is the only municipality in Montenegro that has formally established a Local Youth Council. However, there is currently no national mechanism for systematic coordination between local youth councils and state-level structures.

For example,  the Capital City of Podgorica has adopted the Local Youth Action Plan for the period 2025–2026, along with amendments to the Decision on the Establishment of the Capital City Youth Council ( Local Youth Action Plan 2025–2026 – Capital City of Podgorica). 

The Local Youth Action Plan 2025–2026 introduces significant benefits for young people through four well-defined operational goals and ten measures. Among these, seven measures are implemented as key projects, including: “Civic-Minded – Empowered Youth,” “Your Voice for Mental Health,” “Master the Tools – Conquer the Market,” “Steps to Success,” “Kultiviši.se,” “Podgorica: A Youth-Friendly City,” and “My City EYCA Card.”

Although the formal support system for volunteering is not yet fully developed, local-level youth services such as youth clubs and youth offices, along with youth-focused civil society projects in the fields of non-formal education and activism, play an important role. In 2024, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Ministry funded 26 youth NGO projects that included volunteering components, through its annual public calls (Link: https://www.gov.me/dokumenta/8b0d38b8-e8dd-45a7-9d32-e76c52c1c9c7). 

Additional information and funding opportunities are also supported by EU programs such as the European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus+ Montenegro, both of which offer international volunteering and exchange programmes.

The important initiative is the Youth Guarantee is a European Union initiative launched in 2013, aiming to ensure that every young person under the age of 30 receives an offer of employment, education, training, or internship within four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education. Although Montenegro is not an EU member, as a candidate country it has joined the implementation process of this policy (EU Youth Guarantee – European Commission).

In 2023, Montenegro launched the pilot phase of the Youth Guarantee, with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNDP, and the European Union. The pilot project is being implemented in the municipalities of Podgorica, Nikšić, and Bijelo Polje, engaging employment agencies, local authorities, schools, NGOs, and centres for social work. One of the programme components includes volunteering as a form of labour activation, particularly for the NEET population (young people not in employment, education, or training) (Link: https://www.gov.me/clanak/garancija-za-mlade). 

During the period 2025–2026, Montenegro plans to institutionalise and expand the Youth Guarantee across the entire territory. This includes the establishment of a centralised information system and the integration of all relevant stakeholders into a coordinated youth support framework.

Intersectoral cooperation is a key factor for the successful involvement of youth in volunteering in Montenegro. In this process, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and the private sector work together to create a supportive environment that encourages youth activism and social engagement. Government policies and programs are focused on supporting volunteer initiatives, while NGOs provide space and resources for the implementation of concrete projects. Educational institutions promote the importance of volunteering through formal and non-formal education, and the private sector often participates through corporate social responsibility. This cooperation enables young people to gain practical experience, develop skills, and contribute to the community, while simultaneously strengthening social cohesion and fostering sustainable societal development.