On this page

1. Youth parliament

2. Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

3. Higher education student union(s)

4. School student union(s)

5. Other bodies

Youth parliament

Structure

The Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies (Закон за младинско учество и младински политики), adopted in January 2020, envisions the establishment of a National Assembly of Youth. This body, composed of various forms of youth organizations, is tasked with electing youth representatives to the advisory body, defining advocacy priorities and youth policies, and monitoring their implementation.

The Law also foresees the formation of Local Assemblies of Youth.

Composition

In accordance with the Law, “youth” refers to individuals aged 15 to 29. The Assembly of Youth comprises representatives of youth organizations, organizations for youth, and youth umbrella organizations.

The Assembly is convened by an Initiative Board formed by at least two-thirds of registered youth organizations, which is responsible for informing all registered organizations listed in the official Register about Assembly sessions.

The Assembly must meet at least once a year.

At the local level, members of the Local Youth Assemblies may include organizations for youth, political youth wings, student organizations, and other youth associations. These organizations are not required to be registered within the municipality or city of Skopje but must carry out activities within its territory.

Role and Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Youth Assembly include:

• Electing youth representatives to the advisory body
• Setting youth policy priorities
• Monitoring the work of youth representatives
• Reviewing their reports
• Undertaking other duties aligned with the Law and the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure
   

Funding

Operating costs for organizing the Assemblies are financed by the Ministry for Social Affairs, Demography and Youth, upon submission of a financial plan.

The implementation of the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies is funded by the national budget at a minimum of 0.3% annually.

Youth councils and/or youth advisory boards

Structure

Article 16 of the Law stipulates that local youth councils must be included in the statutes of all municipalities, including the City of Skopje and its municipalities.

To support their formation, the former Agency of Youth and Sports, together with the OSCE Mission to Skopje, developed a Manual for Local Youth Councils. It provides guidance for municipalities regardless of whether they are establishing a youth council for the first time, reactivating an inactive one, or aligning an existing one with legal provisions.

The Law also establishes the National Advisory Body on Youth Policies, a platform for cooperation between youth representatives and state administration bodies, with both advisory and supervisory functions in youth policy implementation.

As of the end of April 2025, the National Assembly of Youth and the National Advisory Body were not yet established.

Composition

Local youth councils are established through municipal statutes. Their composition must be an odd number, not exceeding one-third of the members of the municipal council but not fewer than five.

The National Advisory Body is established by Government decision. It includes youth representatives elected by the National Youth Assembly (one of whom chairs the body), and representatives nominated by designated institutions:

• Agency of Youth and Sports
• Ministry of Labor and Social Policy
• Ministry of Justice
• Ministry of Local Self-Government
• Ministry of Culture
• Ministry of Education and Science
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Finance
   

The youth sector is represented by nine members, while no more than eight representatives come from state institutions.

However, this structure is no longer functional due to the recent structural reforms. The Agency of Youth and Sports has been transformed into the Ministry for Social Affairs, Demography and Youth, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy has ceased to exist. As a result, the composition and functioning of the National Advisory Body are currently under revision, and amendments to the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies are in preparation to align it with the new institutional framework.

Role and responsibilities

Local Youth Councils serve as advisory and advocacy bodies within the municipalities, the municipalities in the City of Skopje, and the City of Skopje itself, focusing on youth-related issues and policies. Their primary goal is to engage young people in public life and ensure their meaningful participation in local decision-making processes.

Representatives of Local Youth Councils have the right to:

• Propose agenda items to the Municipal Councils that affect young people;
• Initiate discussions and raise issues related to youth within the competencies of the municipalities;
• Take part in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the local youth strategy and related policies;
• Provide relevant information and recommendations on youth matters to local authorities;
• Carry out additional advisory and advocacy activities as defined by the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies.
   

On the national level, the National Advisory Body for Youth Policies is tasked with the following responsibilities:

• Offering opinions and recommendations on the implementation of youth legislation and policies;
• Providing feedback on the National Youth Strategy and its Action Plan;
• Assessing and giving input on the budget allocations dedicated to youth, including proposals and recommendations for funding youth-related activities;
• Initiating discussions on youth issues within the Government and the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia;
• Proposing mechanisms for evaluating youth participation and the extent to which youth interests are addressed in public life;
• Publishing thematic and periodic reports on the rights, opportunities, and needs of young people in the country;
• Monitoring EU recommendations on youth and advocating for the advancement of youth policies accordingly;
• Organizing events and consultations with youth organizations and young people to ensure participatory approaches;
• Undertaking other activities that contribute to the promotion and protection of youth interests.

Funding and Support

Local Youth Councils receive public funding as stipulated in the municipal statutes, adopted by the respective municipal councils. The level of funding is determined by each municipality’s budget and the financial plans of the individual Youth Councils. As official bodies within the municipalities, they are subject to financial oversight and accountability by local authorities.

At the national level, the National Advisory Body for Youth Policies receives administrative, financial, and logistical support from the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia. 

According to the current legal framework, the Republic of North Macedonia allocates at least 0.3% of the national budget annually for the implementation of the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies. Similarly, municipalities, including those within the City of Skopje, are obliged to allocate at least 0.1% of their budgets annually for youth-related initiatives. The enforcement of these obligations remains a key area of monitoring and advocacy.

Higher education student union(s)

Structure

Until recent years, the dominant form of student representation in higher education institutions was the student parliament, often registered under the Law on Civil Society Organizations. Though formally independent, these bodies operated within university premises and were subject to varying degrees of institutional oversight.

The legitimacy of some student parliaments—particularly at the largest state university—was seriously challenged following procedural violations, including the unlawful extension of mandates without elections. In response, students mobilized and established an alternative representative body known as the Student Plenum, which advocated for democratization of student governance and reforms in the Law on Higher Education.

Following these developments, the Law on Higher Education (in force since May 2018) introduced a new model for student representation. It mandates the establishment of Student Assemblies as formal structures within faculties and universities, with internal organization defined by the statutes of individual faculties.

Composition

The law foresees the formation of two levels of student representation:

• Faculty Student Assembly – This body consists of student representatives elected through direct, fair, and democratic elections by secret ballot. All enrolled students have the right to vote and to stand as candidates. Mandates last one year, with the possibility of re-election. Elections are organized by a commission in which students form the majority, and the process is initiated by the Dean no later than 30 days prior to the vote.

• University Student Assembly – This assembly coordinates student representation at the university level and elects representatives to the Senate and other governing bodies. It also nominates the Student Ombudsman, monitors the quality of education and student welfare, advocates for student rights, and supports extracurricular student engagement.
   

Role and Responsibilities

University Student Assemblies are tasked with:

• Electing student representatives in key university governance structures;

• Proposing a Student Ombudsman and advocating for student rights;

• Overseeing the quality of academic life and contributing to policy development on student welfare;

• Supporting student cultural, social, and intellectual development;

• Initiating and managing student projects and proposing funding for student activities.
   

Funding

Article 34 of the Law on Higher Education outlines the financial framework for student assemblies:

1. Student assemblies are financed by the higher education institutions and can also receive support from donations, legacies, and other external sources.
2. Each assembly manages its own finances, as defined by its internal statute.
3. Institutions are required to guarantee autonomous financial management for student assemblies.
    

However, institutions retain the right to supervise the purpose-driven use of funds, according to the assembly’s statute.
 

School student union(s)

The High School Union, headquartered in Tetovo, is the principal structure representing secondary school students in North Macedonia. It operates regional branches in six cities—Kičevo, Gostivar, Štip, Kumanovo, Skopje, and Debar—and aims to expand nationwide.

Guided by its strategic framework "From Us, For Us", the Union advocates for the educational and psychosocial well-being of high school students. It focuses on key issues such as:

• Access to quality textbooks,

• Prevention of peer violence,

• Strengthening cross-border collaboration with student unions from the Western Balkans and countries such as Belgium and Norway.
   

The Union also works closely with high schools, school communities, and youth organizations to amplify student voices in educational reforms.

Other bodies

At present, no official or standardized structures exist beyond those described above for youth participation in formal decision-making, and there is a lack of accessible information on other potential youth representative bodies.