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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Poland

Poland

1. Youth Policy Governance

1.8 Cross-border cooperation

Last update: 28 November 2023
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  1. Cooperation with European countries
  2. International cooperation

Cooperation with European countries

Activities targeting youth are mainly developed at national, regional and local levels. Horizontal recommendations related to youth policy and to international youth cooperation focussing on common goals are mainly worked on at EU and international levels.

On 17 June 1991 the Polish and German Ministers of Foreign Affairs signed an agreement between the government of the Republic of Poland and the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, concerning German-Polish youth cooperation. When the Polish-German Youth Cooperation (Polsko-Niemiecka Współpraca Młodzieży) (PNWM) was established, the Republic of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany signed the Treaty of Good Neighbourship. PNWM is an international organisation and the only Polish-German institution of that kind. The Council of the Polish-German Youth Cooperation (Rada Polsko-Niemieckiej Współpracy Młodzieży) is the supreme organ of PNWM. The Council of the Polish-German Youth Cooperation is composed of 24 members - 12 from Poland and 12 from Germany. The Council of the Polish-German Youth Cooperation is jointly presided over by the Polish Minister of Education and Science and the German Minister of Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

The International Visegrad Fund is the institution supporting cooperation between Visegrad Group states (established in 1991) and also their joint representation in third countries. Its objectives are implemented thanks to financial support provided to cultural cooperation activities, youth exchange, scientific exchange, cross-border cooperation and tourism.

On 9 September 2015, the Polish-Ukrainian Council of Youth Exchange (Polsko-Ukraińska Rada Wymiany Młodzieży) was established on the strength of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukraine. The Council aims to encourage youth and youth workers to undertake joint activities, “which will bring the countries closer together, facilitate the discovery of common roots, fight prejudice and stereotypes in the perception of their common history and in today’s relations”.

The Polish-Lithuanian Youth Exchange Fund was established on 1 June 2007 under an agreement between the Government of the Rupublic of Poland and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, under the honorary patronage of the Prime Ministers of Poland and Lithuania. The main objectives of the activities undertaken within the Polish-Lithuanian Youth Exchange Fund are i.a. shaping mutual international relations, discovering a shared history, eliminating prejudices and stereotypes in the perception of shared history and in contemporary relations.

International cooperation

Central administration representatives participate in the Eastern Partnership Youth Fora (Fora Młodzieży Partnerstwa Wschodniego) (FMPW) organised during Eastern Partnership summits. The 5th Eastern Partnership Youth Forum was held on 23 and 24 November 2021.