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1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

Main actors

The governmental authorities responsible are:

• the Ministry of  Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities,
• the Romania’s international development cooperation Agency (RoAid),
• the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
• the Ministry of Education
• the National Agency for Community Programmes in the Field of Education and Vocational Training through implementing Erasmus + Programme in Romania. 

Non-public actors taking part in the development of policies, programmes or actions related to youth contribution to global processes of policy-making.

A few Romanian NGOs are active in the field of international development:

• REPER21 (the European Network for the Promotion of a Responsible Economy - 21th century) is a Romanian NGO with an extensive experience in promoting and operationalizing social responsibility and sustainable development, which also represent its mission and its field of activity. It is the partner of the Ministry of Education in the project to promote Development Education in Romania.
• Global Shapers Community Romania is a network of Hubs developed and led by young people who are exceptional in their potential, their achievement and their drive to make a contribution to their communities. The Global Shapers Community is one of several multi-stakeholder communities at the World Economic Forum. Shapers are highly motivated individuals who have a great potential for future leadership roles in society. They are selected on the basis of their achievements, leadership potential, and commitment to make a difference. Through the Global Shapers Community, Shapers are provided with opportunities to connect with the worldwide network of Global Shapers, to network with other World Economic Forum communities, and to represent the voice of youth at World Economic Forum events. Shapers are united by a common desire to channel the members’ tremendous energy and enthusiasm into building a more peaceful and inclusive world.
• Ashoka supports the work of the Ashoka Fellows by operating with the local network to improve the framework requirements that social entrepreneurs must face, a ecosystem in which changemakers can flourish, an environment where accessible regulatory framework is in place, in which the work of the changemakers has greater visibility and which supports their plans for social change with know-how, strategic partnerships, coaching, financial means, ideas and commitment.
• FOND.  On the 1st of January 2007, Romania became a member of the European Union (EU), a status which also implies taking the responsibility to contribute to the development cooperation policy (part of Chapter 26 Foreign Affairs that includes also the development cooperation policy). Romania changed its status from recipient to donor, by providing assistance to partner states in their effort for political, social and economic reform. On 16th October 2006, the Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations for Development (FOND) first General Assembly took place with the aim to establish the national development cooperation Platform. After an extensive process initiated back in 2005, 34 nongovernmental organizations from Romania (including some of the most important NGOs from all over the country), have officially established the Romanian NGDO Platform (FOND). Today, FOND has 39 member organisations. Ever since 2006, FOND has organized capacity building trainings for the members to become more active in the international development cooperation field, aiming both at informing the organizations and at training them on project writing and implementation, as well as awareness raising campaigns for the Romanian public. During 2008-2009, the first project ‘Development cooperation in Romania: Building FOuNDation for Policy Work’ has been implemented by FOND, which had as main goal to create and develop the instruments through which member organizations get involved more in the development cooperation field, as well as the improvement of the collaboration with the Romanian public institutions and international organizations active in this field. A major event, which has become a tradition for FOND is the Black Sea NGO Forum, launched in 2008, as an initiative of the R. Moldova-Georgia Working Group, The Forum is an opportunity for the nongovernmental organizations within the Black Sea region, but also for the state actors to develop sustainable partnerships in this area. Another event that FOND organizes every year is the Romanian Development Camp aiming to create a space for debates about the challenges of the development cooperation policy and the creation of new partnerships with relevant actors. FOND has also organized a series of actions targeting citizens and especially the youth, having as main goal to bring visibility on the importance of development cooperation. Through the project 'Be a global citizen! Take attitude against extreme poverty', FOND aimed at raising awareness among the young people on how they can get involved. Development Education is an important component of the FOND strategy: organizing national seminars on global/development education and events (such as Africa Day), are just some of the actions which have taken place.
• Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF) implemented the project Enhancing Development Education in Central-Eastern European Countries (January 2010 – December 2012), project co-funded by the European Commission. Partnering up with other 5 NGOs from Austria, Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, CSDF aimed to contribute to the awareness rising in the importance of international development and global education. Within the project, educators, teachers, NGOs representatives and public authorities, young people and youth groups, mass media representatives got the knowledge on the global education matters and the Millennium Development Goals. 

General distribution of responsibilities

Through its county departments on youth, the Ministry of  Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities promotes the set priorities and activities in the field of youth.

The International Relations Department within the Ministry of Youth and Sports had (until December 2021) the following attributions:

• elaborates the calendar of international relations in the field and submits it for approval to the Minister;
• submits to the Economic Policy Directorate for approval the draft budget related to the international relations calendar:
• draws up the programs of the official visits to Romania of the foreign delegations invited by the ministry at the level of minister, state secretaries and sub-secretary of state as well as the related documentation and submits them for approval to the minister;
• prepares the necessary documentation regarding the participation in the actions included in the calendar, which submits it for approval to the minister;
• formulates the proposals, approved by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the inclusion in the intergovernmental agreements of provisions regarding the cooperation in the field:
• works on the diversification of bilateral and multilateral cooperation relations;
• organizes actions for representation of Romania, based on the minister's approval:
• ensures the liaison and correspondence with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with other ministries and diplomatic missions of Romania from other countries or other countries in Romania, with the approval of the Minister, including regarding the travel of the Romanian official delegations to the international competitions; state institutions in charge of diplomatic, consular documents;
• completes the conclusion of cooperation agreements, protocols with other institutions and international bodies with attributions in the fields of youth and sport;
• ensures the representation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in European and international working groups, European and international, governmental and non-governmental organizations and bodies in the fields of activity of the Ministry of Youth and Sports;
• ensures the transfer of European policy guidelines in the youth and sports fields at national level;
• supports Romania's candidacy for organizing international competitions through the diplomatic missions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• provides the documentation, approved by the Minister, for the commitment of the expenses necessary for participation in the actions in the field of youth and sport organized at international level and aims at their realization;
• monitors and evaluates how the actions included in the timetable of international relations are achieved;
• ensures the translation of the international correspondence of the Ministry of Youth and Sport within the competencies of the subordinate personnel;
• develops proposals on the strategy for the development of international relations in the field of youth and sport, cooperation with youth structures in line with youth strategies and policies in the European Union, the Council of Europe and the UN, in collaboration with the specialized departments;
• elaborates and submits to the Minister and / or other decision-makers, synthesis on international relations;
• prepares materials for meetings of mixed sports and youth cooperation committees with other countries and for the talks of the Ministry of Youth and Sports with delegates or representatives of national and international youth and sports organizations;
• prepares the necessary documentation regarding the participation of the representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in the organized actions, at European sports conferences, in other international sports events and meetings, aiming to implement the conclusions and documents adopted;
• follows and carries out actions representing Romania in European and international organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and contributes to the promotion of the relations of the Romanian sports federations with the international sports federations;
• through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, liaises with the diplomatic missions of Romania abroad for the promotion of Romania's official sports delegations to international actions;
• works with the foreign missions of other accredited countries in Romania  in order to carry out in an optimal manner the international actions with the participation of the representatives of the Romanian sports, as well as those of the youth field;
• Ensures the provision of European legislation in the field of youth and sport and all documents requested by the Ministry of Youth and Sport, drafted by international bodies in the two fields of activity;
• provides the professional development program of the personnel in charge, in accordance with the submitted proposals of the Legal, Contentious and Personnel Policy Directorates;
• elaborates, carries out and implements domestic and international projects and programs established and approved by the Minister and organizes national and international activities, ensuring the direct and reciprocal participation at similar events abroad;
• Manages public funds and funds drawn from internal and / or international funding bodies, which they allocate to support national and / or international youth and sport projects, in compliance with the financing conditions imposed by the legislation in force;
• participates in the implementation of projects financed from structural funds or other European funds in which the Ministry of Youth and Sports is a beneficiary;
• performs other tasks assigned to it, by order of the Minister, in accordance with the attributions of the Directorate and in compliance with the legislation in force.
• concludes on the cooperation agreements, protocols with other institutions and international bodies with attributions in the fields of youth and sport;
• ensures the representation of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in European and international working groups, European and international, governmental and non-governmental organizations and bodies in the fields of activity of the Ministry of Youth and Sports;
• ensures that the European policy guidelines on youth and sport are transposed at national level;
• supports Romania's candidacy for organizing international competitions through the diplomatic missions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

RoAid is Romania’s international development cooperation agency that contributes to the global efforts of sustainably alleviating extreme poverty and supporting stronger democratic institutions in developing countries. RoAid is Romania’s international development cooperation agency that brings together the work of Romanian public institutions, civil society and the private sector for global efforts of sustainably alleviating extreme poverty and supporting stronger democratic institutions in developing countries. Through RoAid, Romania aims to:

• Promote and support peace and security, the democratic development and the civil society;
• Mitigate the negative effects of disasters and armed conflicts;
• Enhance the understanding of the international development issues, the interdependency between countries, and the efforts made to address these issues, both in Romania and in other countries;
• Extend long-term support for sustainable economic and social development.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinates Romania’s development cooperation programme, RoAid, and sets its legal and strategic framework.  Also, the MFA manages a special budget allocated to financing development projects and programmes, core contributions to international organizations, humanitarian actions, and development education activities.

The Ministry of Education is coordinating all the initiatives in for development, environment and climate education. 

Cross-sectorial cooperation

Ministry of  Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities and Ministry of Foreign Affairs used to cooperate for the programme UN Youth Delegate

UN Youth Delegate started in Romania in 2006, having the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sport and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Romania is one of the 36 UN Members States supporting this initiative that aims to train young people 18-25 years old to get involved with the highest decision-making fora and to support then their involvement in different activities in their home country.  The two selected participants represent the interests of young people in Romania within the United Nations sessions of the New York General Assembly and the work of the Committee on Social Development. In addition to these activities, the two representatives are consulting young people in Romania on topics related to the events’ agenda, engaging in youth events and organizing meetings and projects with other young Romanians to promote the United Nations Development Agenda and priorities for youth.