1.8 Cross-border cooperation
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Cooperation with European countries
Several cooperation activities with EU and EU-candidate countries were implemented for policy-coordination and capacity building by the Ministry of Youth and Sport before 2021. The cooperation activities have been also carried out in the benefit of young people, this involvement of young people in international relations activities of the Ministry being one of the ways of informing and involving young people in the youth policy. International cooperation in the field of youth is less active since 2022.
Long term cooperation programmes were implemented with France, Italy and Belgium, both Flemish and Walloon Communities, Hungary and Moldova.
Romania is also part of multi-country initiatives within EU. Between 2004-2012, Romania participated to the Central European Initiative (CEI) Youth Forum. Delegations were composed of one governmental representative and 2 Youth NGO representatives. The outcome was a declaration on a certain topic established by the Presidency. In 2009, Romania held the CEI Presidency and, at that time, the Ministry of Youth and Sports organized the IX CEI Youth Forum - Supporting Youth Access on Labor Markets.
Starting with 2015, Romania is invited, as an observer, to the Visegrad Group on youth Affairs (which is further named Visegrad Group + Romania).
International cooperation
The Ministry responsible for the youth policy carried out numerous activities of policy coordination with third countries and/or other international organisations in the field of youth and youth policies. It worth mention the long term cooperation activities and initiatives, as the following:
- Youth Exchange Programmes with Tunisia
- Youth Exchange Programmes with Morocco
- Cooperation Agreement on Youth with the Republic of Moldova
- Cooperation Agreement on Youth with China – until 2008 with All China Youth Federation.
Also, in the field of international relations, since 2009, The Ministry of Youth and Sports organizes the UN Youth Delegate Programme. 2 young people, gender balance, aged between 18 and 25, represent the Romanian Youth Voice to the General Assembly (September-October) and ECOSOC- Economic and Social Council-(February, the following year). The programme is carried out in partnership with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the most recent edition of the UN Youth Delegate Programme was launched in March 2024.