Montenegro does not currently have a dedicated national strategy focused exclusively on youth volunteering. However, this area has been partially addressed through broader strategic documents related to youth policy and the development of volunteerism.

The first document to directly address this issue was the Strategy for the Development of Volunteerism 2010–2015, which was adopted with the aim of promoting volunteer work, strengthening the legislative framework, and enhancing institutional support for volunteering, including youth volunteering. This strategy expired in 2015 and has not been renewed or replaced by a new strategic document, leaving a gap in the regulatory framework for volunteerism development (Strategy for the Development of Volunteerism 2010–2015).

Subsequently, youth volunteering was included in the Youth Strategy 2017–2021, adopted by the Government of Montenegro in September 2016. This strategy recognized the importance of volunteering as a mechanism for enhancing youth activism and civic engagement. Strategic objectives included promoting volunteering through the education system, developing local volunteer services, and supporting youth organizations that promote volunteer work. It was accompanied by annual action plans (2017, 2018, 2019) and a two-year plan for 2020–2021. However, no new strategy followed after its expiration (Youth Strategy 2017–2021).

As of October 2023, Montenegro has adopted a new National Youth Strategy 2023–2027, establishing a modern framework for youth policy. In this document, volunteering is clearly identified as a tool for empowering young people, encouraging active participation in society, and developing competencies relevant to employability. Within Strategic Goal 2, the strategy outlines the following key measures:

• Development of local volunteer services;
• Inclusion of volunteering in both formal and non-formal education;
• Strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of volunteering;
• Defining minimum standards and procedures for volunteer work organizers.

This strategy remains the most relevant policy document addressing youth volunteering, despite not being exclusively focused on the topic. It was adopted together with the Action Plan for the period 2023–2024, which outlines specific activities, responsible institutions, and implementation timelines. Following the completion of this plan, the subsequent Action Plan for 2025–2026 was developed to continue advancing these objectives and ensure sustained support for youth volunteering initiatives (Action Plan for the Youth Strategy 2025–2026). 

Measure 2.4 of this plan specifically provides for the promotion of volunteering, with the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the National Volunteer Service designated as the main implementers. Partners involved in these activities include RYCO, the Erasmus+ Contact Point, and RKSOM. Following the completion of this plan, the subsequent Action Plan for 2025–2026 was developed to continue advancing these objectives and ensure sustained support for youth volunteering initiatives.

Despite these positive developments, Montenegro still lacks a standalone national strategy specifically for volunteering. There is a need to establish a dedicated volunteering strategy that would include intersectoral collaboration, clear implementation and monitoring mechanisms, and quality standards tailored to youth volunteering across the country.

Scope and contents

It is recognised in the Youth Strategy that volunteerism is not that well developed among youth and that young people participate in volunteering principally through the activities of NGOs. Therefore, it states that the mechanisms for youth volunteering should be improved within the formal education system and other environments. It is acknowledged that it is necessary to promote the system of values of volunteerism and how both the individuals and the state can benefit from volunteering.
The Youth Strategy defines six key priorities – key outcomes – concerning Montenegrin youth, and some of them include measures on volunteering, specifically Key Outcome C: “Young people are active citizens, involved, motivated, proactive and participating in decision-making and community development processes, in the creation of policies and their implementation” .

The focus of the youth policy regarding this outcome is on “putting in place mechanisms/systems for fostering activism: so that activism can become a value that is systematically fostered, prised and promoted among youth; so that institutional mechanisms for participation in public decision making can be made more approachable and more adequate to young people; and to foster and promote volunteerism.”

The Youth Strategy has planned, as one of its main desired outcomes, that young people have access to quality cultural content as creators and consumers. To achieve this, it proposes supporting the young creators of culture and media content and developing volunteering in cultural institutions, festivals and manifestations. The strategy recognises that young people have limited access to mentors and role models in the domain of culture, and that the culture and practice of volunteering would enable young people to gain certain knowledge, skills and experience.

The strategy does not contain objectives or measures relevant to inclusive volunteering and it does not identify any specific target groups within the youth population whose participation in voluntary activities should be fostered.

The National Youth Strategy 2023–2027 currently serves as the key policy framework guiding youth development. It recognises volunteering as a tool for fostering civic participation, building competencies, and enhancing employability. While volunteering is not treated as an independent strategic priority, it is integrated into Strategic Goal 2, which focuses on active participation and empowerment of youth.

The Strategy is accompanied by multi-year action plans. The first Action Plan (2023–2024) was adopted simultaneously with the strategy and includes specific measures related to:

• the development of local volunteer services,
• the inclusion of volunteering in formal and non-formal education,
• improving intersectoral cooperation in the volunteering field,
• and establishing quality standards for volunteer organisations.

The second Action Plan (2025–2026) is currently in implementation, with regular monitoring coordinated by the Ministry of Sports and Youth in collaboration with local governments, civil society, and institutional partners. These action plans serve as the main implementation tools and are monitored through annual reports and performance indicators, publicly available on the Ministry’s official platform. 

Responsible authority

The main governmental body responsible for the implementation, coordination, and monitoring of youth policy in Montenegro is the Ministry of Sports and Youth.

In parallel, the Minitry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue has taken over certain aspects of youth policy related to labour activation, volunteer engagement for employability, and social inclusion. This ministry plays a complementary role, particularly through public calls for NGO projects and joint implementation of EU-aligned programs such as the Youth Guarantee pilot initiative.

Until 2020, the ministry responsible for the implementation, coordination, and monitoring of the National Youth Strategy was the Ministry of Sports and Youth. In 2020, based on the Decree on the Organization and Manner of Work of the State Administration (Official Gazette of Montenegro, Nos. 118/2020, 121/2020, 1/2021, and 2/2021), the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, along with the Directorate for Sports and Youth, assumed responsibility in the area of youth policy. According to the new Decree on the Organization and Mode of Work of the State Administration (Official Gazette of Montenegro, No. 049/22 of 06.05.2022, 052/22 of 13.05.2022, 056/22 of 27.05.2022), the Government of Montenegro re-established the Ministry of Sports and Youth as the competent authority for youth affairs. 

So far, five reports on the implementation of action plans related to the Youth Strategy have been published for the years 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. These reports include information regarding the monitoring of youth volunteering initiatives.

Since 2022, the Ministry of Sports and Youth has been responsible for monitoring the implementation of youth policy, including the new Youth Strategy for the period 2023–2027.  Strategy is a key public policy document that guides the development and empowerment of young people and improves their position in Montenegrin society (Youth Strategy 2023–2027).

The strategy clearly identifies challenges in the field of youth volunteering, stating that young people in Montenegro participate in volunteer activities at a very low and sporadic rate, which negatively affects the development of values such as empathy, solidarity, cooperation, and care for the public good. The national legal framework currently does not adequately promote volunteerism - treating it mainly as unpaid labor rather than as a mechanism for social development - while also financially burdening volunteer host organizations. These legal provisions discourage youth organizations from initiating and implementing projects, recruiting volunteers, and contributing to local community development through volunteer engagement.

According to the latest statistical data cited in the Strategy, only 3.9% of young people actively volunteer, while as many as 68% have never participated in volunteer work. Although the number of traditionally engaged youth remains low, there is a growing interest in so-called alternative forms of participation, including community-based volunteering, online activism, and involvement in modern social movements such as climate justice initiatives.

With a particular focus on improving the current situation, the Youth Strategy outlines a concrete measure aimed at the development of volunteerism and the value system among youth. Within activity 1.5.2.3, it proposes the improvement of legal provisions on volunteering, through accelerating the process of normative redefinition of volunteer engagement to affirm volunteering as a form of contributing to societal development, rather than merely unpaid labor.

In addition, the strategy emphasizes the importance of early involvement of young people in volunteering and proposes the introduction of volunteer programs in secondary schools and higher education institutions as an integrated part of education. A key activity also includes providing systematic support for youth initiatives to carry out volunteer actions in local communities.

To strengthen the culture of volunteerism, youth-oriented informational campaigns are also planned, which will promote volunteering opportunities both in Montenegro and abroad. These campaigns will be implemented in cooperation with the Erasmus+ Office and the National Contact Point for Montenegro, further strengthening links with European youth programs.

In line with the conducted analyses and identified needs, the Strategy also acknowledges the possibility of introducing benefits for registered volunteers as a way of encouraging long-term engagement and recognizing the contributions young people make through volunteering.

It is important to note that the previous National Youth Strategy (2017 - 2021) did not recognize volunteering as one of the key priorities, which was contrary to the National Youth Action Plan 2006–2011, which had a clearly defined focus on this area. That plan included objectives aimed at promoting volunteering, creating a supportive environment for its development, and providing systemic support for youth volunteering, including intergenerational solidarity and social inclusion.

In contrast, the current Youth Strategy 2023–2027 corrects this oversight and includes goals and measures related to promoting volunteering among young people. The strategy specifically recognizes the need to develop a volunteer culture, improve the legal framework, provide institutional support for youth initiatives, and strengthen intersectoral cooperation to create conditions for more active youth involvement in social life through volunteer engagement.

Revisions and updates

The current National Youth Strategy 2023–2027 represents a shift from earlier approaches by embedding youth volunteering within broader frameworks of youth empowerment and civic participation, rather than treating it as a standalone priority. This marks an evolution from the expired National Strategy for the Development of Volunteerism 2010–2015, which was the last dedicated policy focused solely on volunteerism.

Recent updates emphasize strengthening volunteering mechanisms especially within formal education and community settings, acknowledging that youth volunteering remains largely NGO-driven and underdeveloped. The Strategy promotes values of volunteerism and highlights its benefits for individuals and society.

Implementation of volunteering-related measures is now systematically supported through multi-year Action Plans (2023–2024 and ongoing 2025–2026), which define concrete activities, responsible institutions, and monitoring processes. These plans enhance intersectoral cooperation, set quality standards for volunteer organizations, and integrate volunteering more fully into educational and local service frameworks.

Additionally, the division of governmental responsibilities has been clarified: the Ministry of Sports and Youth leads youth policy coordination and volunteering initiatives, while the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Dialogue complements these efforts by focusing on labor market activation and social inclusion through volunteer engagement.

Looking ahead, there remains a recognized need from civil society and international partners to develop a dedicated national volunteering strategy or targeted sector policies to comprehensively address structural challenges and maximize youth volunteering potential in Montenegro.