Forthcoming policy developments

On 10 September 2025, the Government of the Slovak Republic approved the proposal for the implementation of UN General Assembly Resolution No. 78/127 and designated the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for the Development of Civil Society as the National Focal Point for IVY 2026. The main objective of IVY 2026 in Slovakia is to promote the implementation of systemic changes to support and develop volunteering so that it becomes a natural part of social life, community development, and public policy.

Actors from different sectors will cooperate in advocating for and implementing the following systemic measures related to the youth volunteering: 

• Granting accreditations in the field of volunteering.
• Analysing the possibilities of co-financing projects from public and private sources through volunteer work and preparing proposals for the systemic anchoring and practical implementation of such a mechanism.
• Analysing options for embedding volunteer centres as a key element of volunteering infrastructure in legislation.
• Developing a strategy for volunteering education in non-formal education and school educational facilities and preparing it for approval as a strategic document.
• Analysing barriers to volunteering in the healthcare sector and preparing legislative or non-legislative proposals to remove them.
• Including leave for volunteering in collective agreements at the level of state administration, regional and local self-government, and the corporate sector.
• Continuing support for social innovation in volunteering.
• Introducing a financial mechanism to support long-term volunteer programmes.
• Proposing a system for releasing volunteers from employment and reimbursing wages to employers when volunteers are deployed during crises or as members of humanitarian teams domestically or abroad.
• Proposing a national system of non-financial rewards and benefits for volunteers (e.g. health insurance, pension-related benefits, leave, advantages in university admission or scholarships, vaccination, etc.) as a motivational element.
• Increasing knowledge about the state and trends in volunteering based on research, including publishing accessible research outputs and organising webinars for volunteer coordinators.
• Supporting the recognition of volunteering as a form of non-formal education, including developing recommendations for higher education institutions.
• Analysing the possibility of waiving fees for criminal record extracts for volunteers working with youth and preparing proposals for systemic implementation.
• Opening a discussion on the introduction of 10 days of leave for volunteers organising summer camps.
• Establishing a working group of local government experts to share good practice, identify legislative and other barriers, and define measures to support volunteering at the local level.
• Operating and promoting the national volunteering database as a platform connecting prospective volunteers with organisations.
• Preparing a proposal for a legislative amendment confirming the status of volunteering as a form of preparation for employment.
   

Ongoing debates

The Youth Report 2024 highlights the following key debates on volunteering:

• Corporate Volunteering: Although not included in the current Youth Strategy, corporate volunteering can also support youth involvement, especially for those already in the labor market. Recommendations include promoting volunteerism among public administration employees and highlighting the benefits of employee volunteering for employers, employees, and society.
• Crisis Volunteer Management: Recent crises have underscored the need for targeted measures to involve volunteers during emergencies. Creating and maintaining a platform for volunteer engagement during crises and preparing organizations and individuals for crisis management are advisable steps.
• Research on Volunteering: Research remains a critical area, particularly regarding youth volunteering. Current findings highlight the absence of relevant, comparable data about youth involvement in volunteering over time. Regular data collection on volunteering in Slovakia and annual assessments of the economic value of volunteer work are recommended.