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1. Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

2. Actors

3. Information on the extent of youth participation

4. Outcomes

5. Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

The Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies establishes the formal framework for youth involvement in public decision-making in the Republic of North Macedonia. It regulates participation at national and local levels and applies across multiple policy areas affecting young people, including education, employment, social protection, health, culture, sports, environment, digitalisation, and local development.

Youth participation in policy-making is foreseen through:

• structured consultation during the drafting of national and local youth strategies;
• participation in advisory and representative bodies (see Section 5.3);
• involvement in working groups established by ministries;
• public consultations via the national electronic consultation system (ENER);
• local participatory processes led by municipalities.
   

Consultations are not uniformly regulated in terms of frequency. At the national level, youth consultations are typically organised during strategy development cycles and legislative drafting processes, while at the local level they depend largely on municipal initiative and capacity.

The Law defines responsibilities for:

• central government institutions (particularly the Ministry for Social Affairs, Demography and Youth),
• municipalities,
• youth representative bodies, and
• civil society organisations.
   

However, the Law does not establish binding minimum standards regarding the regularity or methodology of consultations, which leads to variation in implementation.

Actors

Youth participation in policy-making involves a combination of public authorities and non-governmental stakeholders.

Public authorities

At the national level, the main actors include:

• the Ministry for Social Affairs, Demography and Youth (competent authority for youth policy coordination);
• line ministries responsible for sectoral policies affecting young people;
• the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia;
• the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia.
   

At the local level, municipalities are responsible for:

• adopting local youth strategies;
• establishing Local Youth Councils;
• consulting young people in municipal decision-making processes.
  No formal top-down guidelines systematically regulate how municipalities must conduct youth consultations beyond the obligations stated in the Law.

Youth representative structures

The Law provides for:

• the National Assembly of Youth;
• the National Advisory Body for Youth Policies;
• Local Youth Councils;
• Local Youth Assemblies.

(Information on the operational status of these bodies is provided in Section 5.3.)

Civil society and umbrella organisations

In addition to youth representative structures, several civil society organisations and youth networks play a central role in promoting youth participation, advocacy, and policy dialogue in North Macedonia. These organisations often act as intermediaries between young people and decision-making bodies, facilitate consultation processes, build youth capacities, and contribute to public debates on youth-related issues.

• National Youth Council of Macedonia (NYCM) is the main national umbrella body representing 46 youth organisations. NYCM engages in policy advocacy, monitoring of youth policy implementation, structured dialogue, and capacity development for youth organisations at national and local levels.
   

• Union for Youth Work (SMR) is a network of youth work providers, bringing together youth organisations and organisations working with and for young people. Its mission is to regulate and standardise youth work, support youth workers, and raise public awareness about the importance of youth work. SMR advocates for the recognition of youth work as a profession and for the development of a structured support system for young people and youth workers. 

• SEGA is a national platform of youth organisations dedicated to advocating for necessary legislative changes in areas affecting young people. It supports youth activism, promotes access to information, and encourages the participation of young people in initiatives aimed at addressing issues that concern them. Through advocacy, capacity-building and community-based activities, SEGA contributes to strengthening youth engagement in public life and policy processes.
   

• Scout Association of Macedonia is the national scouting organisation that engages young people in structured youth work, outdoor education and community service. Through its programmes, Scouts promote values of active citizenship, social responsibility and volunteerism, contributing to youth engagement in public life.
   

These organisations collaborate with public authorities, international partners and academic institutions to widen the reach of youth participation initiatives, create platforms for young people’s voices, and strengthen the capacity of youth to contribute to policy discussions.

Information on the extent of youth participation

There is no comprehensive national statistical system measuring the extent or quality of youth participation in policy-making

However, monitoring conducted by the National Youth Council of Macedonia provides insight. The Index of Social Inclusion of Young People at the Local Level 2023–2024 evaluates youth participation in municipal governance.

Key findings include:

• The average rating for youth involvement in local policy-making is approximately 30%, categorised as unsatisfactory.

• 17.5% of municipalities do not involve young people in public policy development.

• Only a small percentage of municipalities demonstrate structured and regular consultation practices.

• Even where Local Youth Councils are established, their influence varies significantly.

These findings indicate that while legal mechanisms exist, implementation remains uneven, particularly in rural municipalities.

Outcomes

Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

Dialogue with Civil Society Organizations – EU Structural Participation Platform

Dialogue with Civil Society Organizations – EU Structural Participation Platform (Дијалог со граѓанските организации – Платформа за структурно учество во ЕУ интеграциите) is an EU-funded project aimed at ensuring essential and structural participation of civil society, reflecting citizens’ views on key sectoral reforms within the EU accession process. It was implemented by the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia, Reactor – Research in Action, Center for Civil Communications, and Eurothink – Center for European Strategies.

The project ran from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2022, with a focus on three main objectives:

1. Establishing a structural platform for civil society participation
    The project created a platform that enabled civil society organizations to engage systematically in institutional consultations, thereby enhancing access to information and participation in policy-making processes related to EU integration.

2. Enhancing formal consultation mechanisms with civil society
    It contributed to improving the quality and consistency of institutional mechanisms for dialogue between the Government and civil society, fostering greater inclusion in sector reforms.

3. Increasing civil society impact on EU accession
    By supporting evidence-based policy-making, the project helped civil society develop shadow reports, policy briefs, and position papers in priority reform areas under the EU accession framework.
    

Western Balkans Youth Lab Project

The Western Balkans Youth Lab (WBYL) is an EU-funded and RCC-implemented initiative that aims to foster a long-term, structured regional dialogue between youth and policymakers across the Western Balkans Six (WB6) – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia. The primary goal is to jointly develop policies that increase youth participation in decision-making and improve the broader socio-economic environment for young people in the region.

During its first phase (2020–2024), WBYL successfully implemented two Youth Policy Labs, addressing youth unemployment and mental health. The project conducted a comprehensive mapping of youth policies, enhanced youth participation in high-level conferences, and significantly strengthened the capacities of National Youth Councils throughout the region.

Building on these achievements, the second phase of the project, WB Youth Lab 2, began in January 2024. It continues to focus on empowering young people and reinforcing their role in decision-making processes through a series of targeted activities. The initiative remains a vital platform for innovative policy-making that responds directly to the needs and aspirations of young people.

Expected outcomes of WB Youth Lab 2 include:

• Increased mobilisation of youth in policy-making;

• Increased co-creation of relevant policies with youth;

• Strengthened formal and informal mechanisms of youth participation;

• Enhanced opportunities for regional networking of young artists.