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1. Governance

2. Cros-sectorial Cooperation

Governance

In the field of social inclusion, the Slovak Republic fully respects obligations adopted at the level of the European Union, United Nations Organisation and UNESCO. The theme of social inclusion has been developed at the governmental level and at the level of state and some competencies have been transferred to local or regional governments e.g. establishing of social care homes for children (Act on the Organisation of the Government Activities and on the Organisation of Central State Administration/ Zákon o organizácii činnosti vlády a organizácii ústrednej štátnej správy). The Governmental Council for Human Rights, National Minorities and Gender Equality  (Rada vlády pre ľudské práva, národnostné menšiny a rodovú rovnosť) play the role of permanent, expert, advisory, coordination and consultative body in this field.  

Main actors

The Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic (referred to as MLSAF), bearing the final responsibility for the field of social inclusion, deals also with the employment strategy, labour market policy, social insurance, public social benefits, social care, social/legal child protection, social guardianship, gender equality and equal opportunities.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (referred to as MESRS) bears responsibility for preparation, coordination and evaluation of the state youth policy. Therefore the Slovak Youth Strategy for 2014 – 2020 covering also the empowerment of youth and their social inclusion, has been elaborated under auspices of this ministry.

Other state bodies and institutions involved in tackling the theme of social inclusion:

• The Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic deals with social inclusion of inhabitants living in Roma communities via its Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities (Úrad splnomocnenca vlády SR pre Rómske komunity) 
• Public Defender of Rights office, where also the Children Ombudsman operates (Detský ombudsman)
• The Commissioner for Children (Komisár pre deti) ensured by Act, protecting the rights of the child granted by The Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Non-governmental non-profit organisations ensuring social integration, including the youth as the target group:

• EPIC, n.o. (employment and employability)
• People in Need / Človek v ohrození, o.z. (social and community work)
• Foundation Socia / Nadácia Socia (systemic changes for socially excluded persons)
• Milan Šimečka Foundation/ Nadácia Milana Šimečku (human rights and multicultural education)
• Foundation Pontis / Nadácia Pontis (Company Social Responsibility, persons with hearing impairments)
• Open Society Foundation / Nadácia otvorenej spoločnosti (participation, public voice, media campaigns)
• Effeta, o.z. and NGO Myslim / Myslím, o.z (persons with hearing impairments)  
• Union of blind and visually impaired persons of Slovakia / Únia slabozrakých a nevidiacich Slovenska, NGO Word / SLOVO, o.z. (persons with visual impairments)
• NGO Margaretka / OZ Margarétka, Slovak union of physically disabled people / Slovenský zväz telesne postihnutých, Slovak union of disabled persons / Slovenský zväz zdravotne postihnutých, NGO Barlička/ OZ Barlička (physically disabled and disabled persons)
• NGO Predys / OZ Predys (learning difficulties, attention-deficit)
• Association for support to mentally disabled / Združenie na pomoc ľudom s mentálnym postihnutím v Slovenskej republike , NGO ECHO/ OZ Echo (mentally impaired)
• Land of harmony Foundation / Nadácia Krajina harmónie (mentally impaired and physically disabled persons)
• A-Centrum (youth with autism spectrum disorder)
• IMPACT HUB  (support of young entrepreneurs, including social entrepreneurship)
• NGO EDUMA/  EDUMA, n.o. (support of social inclusion via education of the society)
• NGO Divé maky / Divé maky, o.z.  (development of Roma youth)

Cros-sectorial cooperation

The MLSAF facilitates activities of the Committee for Children and Youth (Výbor pre deti a mládež), being one of the committees of the Governmental Council for Human Rights, National Minorities and Gender Equality. It gathers together the representatives of various ministries, local and regional governments, as well as non-governmental non-profit organisations. This committee elaborates the National Action Plan for Children, (Národný akčný plán pre deti  2015 - 2017) representing basic instrument for targeted and coordinated actions for implementation of the Convention of the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols at the national level.

Moreover, the Inter-ministerial working group for state policy in the field of youth has been established by the MESRS and it bears responsibility for implementation of inclusive education.