Governance

Main actors

Global issues in Slovakia are governed across sectors and through different levels of governance. There follows a list of most relevant actors governing, and in some extent also creating space for Slovak youth engagement, in the arena of global issues.

Main actors in youth involvement in global issues

One of the key actors is the President of the Slovak Republic, who frames the overall position of the Slovak Republic towards global agendas and initiatives, also influencing and encouraging youth involvement and interest. The current president of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová, has been quite active, most of all in global issues such as climate change, good governance and addressing extremism and polarization, and has been a spark in Slovak society, with dialogue and involvement in these issues, also for youth.

Another important governance body in relation to youth and public involvement in global issues is the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government for the Development of the Civil Society. The office is a key partner for building nation-wide partnerships between different ministries and government bodies and civil society organizations, creating the links between the public, CSOs which represent the public and the ministries which draft, consult, and implement policies.

The official governance of the global issues is thus also spread among the various ministries in Slovakia:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic is responsible for overall Slovak involvement in the international environment, as well in the sector of development aid and development education, and awareness raising, which includes broader opportunities for youth involvement through volunteering as well as global citizenship education. In this, the ministry is overseeing the implementation of Agenda 2030 in relation to SDG 17.

The Ministry of Education, Research development and Youth of the Slovak Republic ensures a youth contribution to global processes of policymaking, coordination of the implementation of the Strategy of the Slovak Republic for youth 2014 – 2020 (including the field Youth and the World), and has a new youth strategy in the making (as of the end of 2020). It is also an owner of the agenda of global citizenship education in the formal and non-formal education sectors (per National programme for development of Education, 2018-2027), also through its agencies such as State Pedagogical Institute and Methodological Pedagogical Centre of the Slovak Republic.

The Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic is the owner of the agenda of sustainable development and green consumption.

The Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic oversees human rights issues.

The Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Information of the Slovak Republic oversees the overall management of Agenda 2030 in Slovakia.

NIVAM – Slovak Youth Institute is the main public actor in the development of policies, programmes or actions related to the youth contribution to global processes of policy-making, implementing specific projects related to the global issues. The institution is part of the legislation creation, with direct contact with youth workers etc., and is the national agency for Erasmus+, which is one of the key governance and funding programmes creating space for youth involvement in global issues.

SlovakAid is an agency working under the auspices of Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, and oversees the granting of opportunities as well as project implementation in the area of global citizenship education, the development education and awareness-raising about global issues.

Civil society actors

There are many non-governmental organisations active in global issues, although they are not exclusively targeted at young people and their involvement in global topics.

• Ambrela - development organizations platform, which is an umbrella organization for CSOs working in the fields of development cooperation, humanitarian aid and global citizenship education,

• eRko – Christian Children Communities´ Movement, which is active in the field of development cooperation and volunteering, as well as raising awareness about global issues among youth.

• Živica, one of the leading organizations in Slovakia working in the field of global citizenship education and value-based education,

• Pontis Foundation, one of the most innovation-oriented organizations in Slovakia in the field of education, and more specifically, value-based education,

• People in Peril Slovakia, an organization with one of the longest traditions of implementing global citizenship education programmes in Slovakia,

• Impact Games, one of the most innovative organizations working on the intersection of the fields of digital and game-based education, and global citizenship and value-based education,

• Milan Šimečka Foundation, one of the most active organizations in value-based education,

• Institute for Active Citizenship, a key CSO actor in the field of active citizenship education,

• Initiative for Citizenship Education, a platform bringing together organizations working towards the implementation of citizenship education in Slovakia,

• Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia, one of the most professional organizations in the field of value-based and peace education,

• UNICEF foundation in Slovakia, one of the leaders in development education and global youth work in Slovakia and beyond.

Less structured and formalized youth movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion also create spaces for youth to engage global issues in a non-formal environment of a broader movement that is interconnected globally.

Much of the agenda governing and administrating Slovak youth involvement in global issues comes from European level, where the following actors are key:

European Commission - Directorate General for Education and Culture

• Responsible namely for the agenda of European Education area.

• Key actor on the level of EU institutions governing the Erasmus+ programme as well as the Creative Europe programme.

European Commission - Directorate General for International Partnerships

• Responsible for implementation of Agenda 2030 and especially SDG 17 through instruments of development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

• Responsible for support of civil society organizations active in the field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

• Responsible for the implementation of Development Education and Awareness Raising programme, which is the most direct and straightforward funding programme for civil society organizations promoting global citizenship, value-based educations and campaigns related to global issues.

There are also several policy and advocacy oriented civil society platforms working on the level of the EU:

• Bridge 47 Network,

• CONCORD Europe,

• Solidar Foundation,

• Platforma,

• Global Education Network Europe.

At the top of multilevel global governance structure, what follows are the key actors on Global Level relevant for youth involvement in global issues:

OECD - through its ownership and implementation of global competences framework PISA measurements.

UNESCO - through its ownership of the Global Citizenship Education agenda on the level of United Nations institutions.

United Nations - through overseeing Agenda 2030, as well as facilitating youth representation at the UN through the framework of UN Youth Ambassadors programme.

Cross-sectorial cooperation

There are two mechanisms on the level of youth policy (more information in section 1.5 Cross-sectorial approach with other Ministries):

• Inter-ministerial working group for state policy in the field of youth (coordinated by MESRS),

• Committee for Children and Youth (coordinated by MLSAF).