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Republic of North Macedonia

4. Social Inclusion

4.2 Administration and governance

Last update: 2 March 2026
On this page
  1. Governance
  2. Main actors
  3. Non-public actors
  4. Cross-sectorial cooperation
On this page
  1. Governance
  2. Main actors
  3. Consultation of young people
  4. Policy monitoring and evaluation

Governance

Social inclusion governance in North Macedonia is based on constitutional guarantees of equality and non-discrimination, sectoral legislation, and multi-annual strategic documents. The Constitution guarantees equal rights regardless of ethnicity, gender, disability, social origin or other status (Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, Official Gazette No. 52/1991, amendments).

The Ohrid Framework Agreement (2001) introduced decentralisation reforms and strengthened inter-ethnic governance mechanisms. According to Article 7 of the Constitution and the Law on the Use of Languages (Official Gazette No. 7/2019), any language spoken by at least 20% of the population has co-official status at municipal level.

The legal framework for youth participation and inclusion is defined primarily by the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies (Official Gazette No. 10/2020). The Law establishes participatory mechanisms and mandates the adoption of a National Youth Strategy.

The National Youth Strategy 2023–2027, adopted by the Government in 2023, is currently the main strategic document governing youth policy, including youth participation and inclusion. It replaced the previous strategy (2016–2025) following the adoption of the 2020 Law.

In addition, social inclusion policy is guided by sectoral strategies in education, employment, social protection, and health. However, no single comprehensive national social inclusion strategy is currently in force following the expiration of the National Strategy for Reduction of Poverty and Social Exclusion (2010–2020).

Despite a developed legislative framework, governance challenges persist:

  • Limited coordination between central and local authorities;
  • Uneven implementation of legal provisions at municipal level;
  • Insufficient public reporting on implementation progress;

Limited financial allocation for youth-targeted measures at local level.

Main actors

Social inclusion and youth participation policies are implemented through a multi-level governance structure.

Central level institutions
Other relevant institutions:

Municipalities are responsible for implementing youth and social inclusion measures at local level, including establishment of Local Youth Councils, Local Youth Offices and Youth Centres under the 2020 Law.

Non-public actors

International organisations active in social inclusion include:

Civil society organisations play an important advocacy and monitoring role. The Codex of Best Practices for Civil Society Participation in Policymaking provides a framework for structured consultation between institutions and civil society.

The National Youth Council of Macedonia (NYCM) conducts regular monitoring of youth inclusion and participation, including the Index of Social Inclusion of Young People at the Local Level 2023–2024.

Cross-sectorial cooperation

Social inclusion and youth participation policies in North Macedonia require coordination across multiple sectors, including social protection, education, employment, health, local governance and digital administration. The legal framework, particularly the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies (Official Gazette No. 10/2020), foresees a multisectoral approach to youth policy development and implementation.

At central level, cross-sectoral cooperation is formally ensured through:

  • Inter-ministerial coordination during the drafting of the National Youth Strategy 2023–2027;
  • Joint participation of line ministries in the implementation of thematic areas of the Strategy;
  • Budget coordination through the Ministry of Finance;
  • Cooperation between the Ministry for Social Policy, Demography and Youth and the Ministry of Education and Science in areas related to youth work, civic education and inclusion.

The National Youth Strategy 2023–2027 assigns responsibilities to multiple institutions under each thematic area, requiring coordination mechanisms between ministries and public agencies. However, publicly available information on formal inter-ministerial working groups or regular coordination meetings remains limited.

At local level, cross-sectoral cooperation is expected between:

  • Municipal administrations;
  • Centres for Social Work;
  • Employment Centres (Employment Service Agency local offices);
  • Educational institutions;
  • Local civil society organisations;
  • Local Youth Councils.

     

According to findings from the Index of Social Inclusion of Young People at the Local Level 2023–2024 (National Youth Council of Macedonia), cooperation between municipalities and Centres for Social Work is more structured than cooperation with civil society organisations. The research indicates that collaboration with youth organisations is often ad hoc and project-based rather than institutionalised.

Despite the formal multisectoral design of youth and social inclusion policies, cross-sectoral cooperation faces several challenges:

  • Lack of clearly institutionalised coordination mechanisms across ministries;
  • Limited data-sharing systems between institutions;
  • Insufficient financial planning across sectors for youth-targeted measures;
  • Uneven cooperation practices at municipal level;
  • Weak integration of youth participation mechanisms into broader social protection and employment frameworks.

While policy documents emphasise integrated approaches, practical coordination remains dependent on institutional initiative and externally funded projects rather than stable structural mechanisms.