8.2 Administration and governance
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Governance
In the Republic of North Macedonia, the culture is an important question that is present in different national regulations. The young people are targeted as part of the general public but some cultural events and projects have only youth in the focus. Therefore, the governance of culture and young people is a complex question. Many stakeholders on national and local level participate in the policy-making and implementation of programs for culture and young people.
State actors
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of North Macedonia is responsible governmental body for all questions related to culture on national level. The Ministry proposes laws for development of cultural policies in the country. It is in charge of the implementation of the National programs for culture following the National Strategy for Development of Culture 2018-2022 (Национална Стратегија за развој на културата во Република Македонија во периодот 2018-2022 година). This Ministry ensures the links between the institutions, local authorities and other stakeholders concerning the culture matters. The new National Strategy for Development of Culture 2023-2027 with the action plan is only available in draft version .
Different public cultural institutions are implementing the cultural policies in North Macedonia such as museums, theaters, libraries, cultural centers, opera etc. They are public bodies working on national or local level. They provide cultural offerings for the citizens in different forms. Their activities are mainly funded by the state budget upon presentation of a yearly program of cultural activities.
The municipalities in North Macedonia are important stakeholders in the field of culture and youth. Since the decentralization reform in 2005, the local authorities have the culture and youth among their competences. One part of the municipal budget is dedicated to programs for young people and cultural activities. Several municipalities have also adopted Youth strategies on local level.
Non-state actors
The non-state actors have a very important role in the creation of cultural offerings in the Republic of North Macedonia. There are associations/CSOs that are organizing festivals and other cultural events of any kind. Moreover, the youth organizations are one of the most important stakeholders that work for implementation of youth policies and creation of possibilities for young people.
The private sector also plays an important role in the development of the cultural scene in North Macedonia. For example, most of the concerts and festivals are organized by private companies, some of the cinemas are private investments, big companies are sponsors of some cultural events etc. Some of these initiatives are also supported by the state budget. The independent artists are also proposing cultural offers, sometimes organized in independent cultural groups: theater and dense companies, music bands etc.
Cross-sectorial cooperation
There is no information on the existence of standardized mechanisms for cross-sectorial cooperation between the stakeholders involved in policy-making in the field of culture and young people. However, the latest policy documents were created in a participatory manner and through wide consultation with different stakeholders
For example, during the creation of the National Strategy for Development of Culture in Republic of Macedonia 2018-2022 (Национална Стратегија за развој на културата во Република Македонија во периодот 2018-2022 година) many subjects were consulted, including national institutions, civil society organizations, artists, independent experts and others.
Additionally, through a consultative, inclusive and transparent process of creation of the new National Youth Strategy 2023 - 2027, young people and relevant state authorities were involved, ensuring that the new National Youth Strategy is a document that reflects the needs of various groups of young people, and at the same time providing institutional support in the creation of the foreseen goals and measures.