1.3 National youth strategy
On this page
On this page
-
Existence of a National Youth Strategy
-
Scope and contents
-
Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy
-
Revisions/updates
Existence of a National Youth Strategy
As of 2020, with the adoption of the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies, there arose a need to develop a new National Youth Strategy within 18 months of the law coming into force, rendering the previously adopted strategy invalid.
In October 2022, in line with this requirement, the Agency of Youth and Sport (AYS) initiated the process of development of the new National Youth Strategy for 2023-2027).
The National Youth Strategy 2023 – 2027 is a strategic document that establishes medium-term goals and priorities for the development of youth policies and the promotion of the interests of young people in the Republic of North Macedonia.
The basis for initiating this process was the research of youth trends in North Macedonia whose aim was to measure their attitudes, beliefs, behavior, perceptions and experiences. In addition, the collected data served as a basis in the planning and implementation of policies and activities by the Agency for Youth and Sports and other relevant stakeholders in the youth sector.
The main imperative of the strategy is to improve the position of young people in society by setting basic principles of action and goals and measures that offer a reform framework primarily for institutions, but also for other stakeholders in enabling young people to realize their rights, needs and interests.
The National Youth Strategy comes along with the Action Plan 2023-2025. The Action plan itself consist of 8 priority areas in accordance with the National Youth Strategy.
The defined goals and measures are created by the young people and the institutions cultivating a partnership relationship, in a way that tries to ensure their feasibility in the given time period, recognizing that the needs of the young people are dynamic and changeable.
Scope and contents
The content of the National Youth Strategy comprises strategic priorities, the key challenges that young people encounter, and long-term objectives, divided into thematic areas. The actions set out by the Strategy should improve the social and economic situation of young people and the creation of an environment that will enable youth to fulfill their rights, needs and interests.
The National Youth Strategy 2023-2027 is adopted by the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and refers to a time period of five years. Defined goals and measures are created in consultation with young people and institutions, cultivating a partnership relationship, in a way that tries to ensure their feasibility in the given period of time, recognizing that the needs of young people are dynamic and subject to changing.
In the Strategy, the term "youth" covers all people aged from 15 to 29 years.
The definition of the term “youth” derives from the National Youth Law and is in accordance with the definition of youth used in the European Youth Strategy.
The National Youth Strategy 2023-2027 covers eight key thematic areas:
- Youth participation
- Youth information
- Youth work
- Education
- Culture
- Health
- Entrepreneurship and pre-employment support
- and Security (violence)
The goals and measures of the Strategy are shaped by input from young people themselves, as well as by analyzing the status and needs of the youth sector and current trends. This process was informed by the Youth Trends Survey 2022 and other relevant research. Eight thematic working groups, along with consultations involving various stakeholders such as youth organizations, high school and university students, government representatives, political party youth wings, and others, contributed to the strategy's development. Over 500 participants were involved in this consultative, inclusive, and transparent process, ensuring that the strategy reflects the diverse perspectives and needs of young people in North Macedonia.
Responsible authority for the implementation of the Youth Strategy
Successful implementation of the National Youth Strategy entails the broad involvement of all stakeholders and key actors who are involved, directly or indirectly, in youth development in the country. The roles and responsibilities of every stakeholder are clearly set out in this Strategy.
The Government as an institution with executive power in the development of the Republic of North Macedonia has a primary role in providing opportunities for the implementation of the National Youth Strategy by adopting and implementing cohesive and coordinated programs associated with the measures envisaged in the Strategy.
The process of strategy implementation and performance monitoring is coordinated by the Agency of Youth and Sport, though data collection and reporting is carried out by all institutions that will implement activities from the Strategy within their programs. The data are in certain planning processes that take place at national level. In order to standardize and facilitate the coordination process, as part of the Plan on Strategy Implementation and Performance Monitoring, the AYS prepared a set of tools/forms with which the institutions will present the collected data, as well as special reporting formats for reporting the achievement of planned results and objectives on a biannual or annual basis.
Local authorities are also responsible for implementation of youth programs and in their activities they are fully coordinated by the AYS. Some municipalities are developing local youth strategies in accordance with the values of the National Youth Strategy.
Other actors addressed by the Strategy are:
- the civil sector who must cooperate with local authorities and the business community in order to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing the most urgent problems faced by young people;
- educational institutions as key actors involved in youth development;
- business community by sharing its resources with institutions and civil society organizations;
- media;
- parents and young people themselves.
Revisions/updates
N/A