National Youth Councils

National Youth Councils represents the highest independent youth representative body in a country. Most European countries, as well as many other countries in the world, have an umbrella organization and they function under different names, most often under the name of the National Youth Council. They are founded, and they unite youth organizations – organizations consisting of young people, working with young people, for young people and in the interest of young people – in order to achieve common general goals which could not be achieved by individual action, and which usually include:

• Strengthening the negotiating position of young people towards the state and its youth policies,
• Creating mechanisms for youth participation in decision-making of concern to them,
• Strengthening the mechanism for representation of the general socio-economic, educational, cultural and other interests of young people,
• Increasing awareness of young people and youth organizations – greater and more complete mobility of information,
• Providing a basis for youth participation in international forums.