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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Republic of North Macedonia

Republic of North Macedonia

5. Participation

5.6 Supporting youth organisations

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Legal/policy framework for the functioning and development of youth organisations
  2. Public financial support
  3. Initiatives to increase the diversity of participants

Legal/policy framework for the functioning and development of youth organisations

The Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies (Закон за младинско учество и младински политики) adopted in January 2020 provides the legal framework for the youth organizations. The Law provides definition and explanation of the structure of different types of organizations that are active in the youth area such as: youth organizations, organizations for youth and youth umbrella organizations.

Therefore, a youth organization is any organization that is registered in accordance with the Law on Associations and Foundations (Закон за здруженија и фондации), in which the highest decision-making body is composed of at least two thirds of young people aged 15 to 29 and whose goals and activities are defined and aimed at promoting the interests of young people. An organization for youth is any registered organization in accordance with the Law on associations and foundations, which is not run by young people or is a youth wing of a political party, youth section of a trade union organized as part of another legal entity, part of which the program goals and activities are aimed at promoting the interests of young people. Youth umbrella organizations are organizations in which the forms of youth organizations that unite to achieve common goals in specific areas of interest to young people.

Youth umbrella organization should:

- has at least ten members from at least five planning regions [out of total of 8] of the Republic of North Macedonia;

- there are two thirds of young people in the highest governing body and

- to be registered in accordance with the Law on Associations and Foundations.

Youth umbrella organizations can:

- participate in the process of creating laws, policy documents and others strategic documents in the field in which they operate;

- participate in the implementation,  monitoring and evaluation of youth policies in the areas in which they operate;

- support youth organization and association in the Republic of North  Macedonia;

- represent common goals in specific areas in which they act in the interest of young people;

- propose measures to decision makers in the areas in which they operate;

- conduct analyzes and research regarding the development of young people in society

and

- carry out activities provided by this Law, other bylaws and their statutes.

 

General overview of the civil society organizations is provided in the Law on Associations and Foundations (Закон за здруженија и фондации). The Law regulates the manner, the conditions and the procedure for establishment, registration and termination of the associations, foundations, alliances, organizational forms of foreign organizations in the Republic of North Macedonia, the property in their disposal, the supervision, status changes and status of the organizations of public interest.[1]

[1] Law on Associations and Foundations (Закон за здруженија и фондации), Article 1, (“Official Gazette Nb.52”, 16.04.2010), http://www.slvesnik.com.mk/Issues/623772ADC92FEE42A1DB496E1E190648.pdf (Accessed December 14, 2018)

Public financial support

Public financial support can be divided in domestic and international, where international support is larger in scale and funds available. The government and its ministry departments, as well as municipalities have funds located for CSO’s. The procedure and funds available are not standardized nationwide, and differs between municipalities and institutions.

In March 2021, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia announced a call for providing financial support to associations and foundations. Funds were allocated for 20 projects of associations and foundations, in a total value of 20.000.000,00 MKD[1]. However, as of September 2023, there has been no subsequent announcement of a similar call from the government.

In 2023, The Agency for Youth and Sport (Агенција за млади и спорт) provided financial support in the total amount of 5.600.000,00 MKD for financial support of youth related projects implemented by  ​​youth organizations, organizations for youth  and youth umbrella organizations. The project initiatives should focus on the following domains: Youth engagement, Youth initiatives, Youth information, Enhancing quality of life, and Employment and pre-employment assistance.

European funds are available through National Agency for European Educational Programs and Mobility responsible for the Erasmus plus program as well as the Delegation of the EU to the Republic of North Macedonia. Also, some foreign Embassies in North Macedonia (mainly British Embassy in SkopjeUS Embassy in North MacedoniaNetherlands Embassy in SkopjeEmbassy of Switzerland in North Macedonia) are supporting Macedonian youth CSO’s in youth related projects and activities.

 

[1] https://vlada.mk/node/24220  (Accessed February 24, 2021)

[2] https://api.ams.gov.mk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/oglas-2023-vonreden-1-1-1-1.pdf   (Accessed September, 2023)

Initiatives to increase the diversity of participants

Currently there is no publicly accessible information on this subject.