COUNTRY SHEET ON YOUTH POLICY LATVIA

COUNTRY SHEET ON YOUTH POLICY LATVIA Last updated : 22/07/2009 Table of contents 1. Context of national youth policy ............................................................................. 3 2. Statistics on young people ..................................................................................... 6 3. Actors and Structures ............................................................................................. 6 4. Legislation ............................................................................................................ 21 5. National Programmes on youth ............................................................................ 22 6. Budget / Public expenditure allocated to youth .................................................... 23 7. European Dimension of youth policy .................................................................... 23 8. Forthcoming events/conferences ......................................................................... 24 Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 2 1. Context of national youth policy 1.1. Youth policy development in Latvia. During the first independence of Latvia from 1918 till 1940 the state promoted the development of the youth work, and the first youth organizations were founded. One of the first was the Boy Scouts in 1917, but later in 1922 the Girl Guides were started. They were merged in 1990 after they were renewed. In 1923 the Latvian Youth Red Cross was founded, and in 1929 the children and youth association Mazpulki” was founded. All of these organizations were closed down and forbidden during the Soviet occupation, but after regaining the independence they were renewed and now they successfully continue their work as some of the largest youth organizations in Latvia with programs for non-formal education and for useful usage of leisure. After the occupation of Latvia until 1990 the work with youth was planned by the Supreme Soviet of Latvian Socialistic Republic, which in turn was controlled by the Central Bureau of the Communist Party. During the occupation the youth organizations were forbidden. There were two institutional mechanisms for implementing youth policy. One of them was the Komsomol – the Young Communist League, which was the youth organization of the Communist Party and whose task was to advocate the ideology and relative involvement. The second mechanism was the movement of the Pioneers based upon the idea of beauty which realized its ideology in Pupil’s and Pioneer Houses, in camps and circles. The aim of the movement was to develop the skills and talents of school-age children, raising the future Komsomol members. After 1990 this system broke down and new organizations were founded on this basis following international standards. NGO role was not appreciated on the background of other priorities; therefore the state support was insignificant. Also, after regaining the independence on the basis of the Pioneer movement interest-education policy was created and coordinated by the State Youth Initiative Centre, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Science. In the beginning the non-governmental youth organizations viewed the interest-education system as a competitor, because the state budget was allocated mainly to promote the interest education, not the development of the non-governmental youth organizations. It has to be stressed that the interest education has gained a stable place and is an important support of the youth work implementation. The first attempt to formulate the state youth policy was in the middle of 90ties, when activities were organized to promote a dialogue between the state and the nongovernmental sector. In 1997 at Rezekne a conference took place under the name “Cooperation of the state, municipalities and the non-governmental organizations to shape and implement the youth policy”. The aim of the conference was to coordinate the Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 3 cooperation between the state and the non-governmental organizations on youth policy and to bring closer the representatives of the municipalities and the state with the members of the non-governmental organizations. The biggest “players” in youth policy in the 90-ties was the State Youth Initiative Centre under the Ministry of Education and Science which enacted the state youth policy, as well as National Youth Council of Latvia and Latvian Student Association. In 1998 they signed a contract which envisaged a regular exchange of information and dealing with youth issues, as well as support to youth nongovernmental organizations and promotion of their development by organizing congresses, conferences and seminars. The State Programme on Youth Policy for 1998-2002 is the first planning document of Latvian youth policy which was taken into consideration by the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on March 10, 1998, but no budget was allocated for carrying out the program. On April 8, 1999 the first Latvian Youth Congress took place where the representatives of youth organizations, youth experts and the young people took an active part. A resolution was worked out with an invitation to make a consultatively coordinating institution to oversee youth policy. The first state program on youth policy was worked out by State Youth Initiative Centre, and, as the evaluation of the State Youth program for 1998-2002 shows, a lot of the goals were not accomplished or were only partly accomplished, because there was no state financing for carrying out the activities. To confirm this statement, all the goals connected with youth interest education were accomplished, because the state budget allocated funds for interest education. The State Youth Initiative centre worked out a State youth policy concept and State program called “State program of Youth policy” in 2002. The Cabinet of Ministers accepted these documents on March 19, 2002. The National Youth Council of Latvia took the initiative and the leading role in working out the Youth Act in 2002. It actively represented the position of the necessity to create a government ministry to coordinate youth policy and the necessity to separate these functions from the Ministry of Education and Science. Since January 1, 2003 the Secretariat of the Minister of Special Assignments started its work. It was transformed into the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs on August 3, 2004, thus becoming the leading state administration institution on children’s rights protection and on children’s and family right jurisdiction. The Ministry of Children and Family Affairs took over from the Ministry of Education and Science the function of working out, organizing and coordinating the state youth policy on October 1, 2004. With the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers of November 30, 2004, the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs formed the Council of Youth Policy Coordination, where National Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 4 Youth Council of Latvia and Latvian Student Association are actively involved. It is the first consulting and coordinating institution on state level, and it has the aim to promote the development and implementation of youth policy in the country and the involvement of youth in the process of decision making. The Ministry of Children and Family Affairs started an active cooperation with The National Youth Council of Latvia, and as a result the improvements on the Youth Law were worked out, and on August 4, 2005 the Ministry of Children and Family Affairs submitted the Youth Law to the Meeting of State Secretaries for consideration. Youth Law has been adopted in Saeima (Latvian Parliament) on 8th of May 2008 and it came to force on 1st of January 2009. Additionally 3 bylaws according to Youth Law about youth advisory council, state financial support to youth work and sequence of youth worker training was approved in the Caibnet. In 2007 Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs made an assessment of youth policy in Latvia, its development and further actions in connection with Council of Europe international youth policy review, it was first overall study on youth policy in Latvia. Afterwards Council of Europe in 2007 and 2008 did international review of youth policy in Latvia and made 38 recommendations for youth policy, which are now being implemented. In Latvia tendency to carry out youth work, which is specifically adopted to local situation and needs of local youth according to subsidarity principle, was raising since year 2007, therefore Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs drafted overall indicators for evaluation of local youth policy with an aim to facilitate youth policy implementation, which is harmonized with state youth policy and based on good practise from other municipalities, European Union and Council of Europe Member states. Those indicators are permissive and local municipalities can use them to: • evaluate local youth work situation; • identify fields where some development can be made; • ensure implementation of targeted youth policy. On 29 of November 2007 youth information portal www.jaunatneslietas.lv (youth affairs) was launched. Portal contains every day updated information on current events, youth policy matters, different projects, youth organization and youth affairs coordinator data base, possibilities to say opinions and recommendations to involved in youth policy implementation, as well there is ensured possibility to feedback between portal users and responsible persons on youth affairs. During year 2008 331473 persons have visited portal. Daily it is at an average visited by 800 till 900 visitors. According to Cabinets by-law of the Youth Advisory Council since 1st of January 2009 Council of Youth Policy Coordination was replaced by Youth Advisory Council, which Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 5 according to by-law increases youth participation in decision making and establishe comanagment and equal partnership ideas, because youth representatives included in the Youth Advisory Council according to Youth Law formes at least half of the composition of the Youth Advisory Council. On 20th of April 2009 Youth Policy Guidelines for years 2009 – 2018 was adopted by Cabinet. Guidelines are produced as cross-sectoral youth policy guidelines for further 10 years, including 13 different aspects of youth policy within 3 dimensions: a) youth policy coordination; b) youth participation and useful utilization of leisure time; and c) youth social and economic development, competitiveness and social inclusion. Due to the financial situation in Latvia and impact of the crisis Cabinet decided to reorganize state administration and according to decree on 6th of May 2009 by Cabinet of Ministers No.281 „On Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs” and decree on 29th of May 2009 by Cabinet of Ministers No.359 „On reorganization of Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs” Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs was reorganized. According to the mentioned Cabinets decree, Ministry of Education and Science from 1st of July 2009 from Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs took over function of development of state policy in youth field, including organizing implementation and coordination of state youth policy. 2. Statistics on young people Mention the number of all young people from the ages of 13 and 30 who live in the country 596 093 (from 13 till 30 years). Number and Percentage of young people in global population Young people forms 26,24% of whole population in Latvia. Number and Percentage of young people by gender in global population Women - 292 730, that is 23,91% of all women in Latvia and 12,8% of whole population. Men - 303 363, that is 28,97% of all men in Latvia and 13,35% of whole population. Number and Percentage of young people with a different nationality (“migration background”). No data available on such cut. 40.85% of population are people with different nationality, 18,3% of whole population has other than Latvian citizenship. (All data taken from Central Statistical Bureau (www.csb.gov.lv)) 3. Actors and Structures 3.1 Public authorities Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 6 3.1.1 National public authorities: Ministry in charge of youth – Ministry of Education and Science, Adress: Valnu street nr. 2, Riga, Latvia, LV-1050 Minister – Mrs. Tatjana Koķe Duration of mandate – 48 month according to term of Saeima, Mrs.Koķe is Minister since year December of year 2007. Youth Policy Unit in the Ministry 1. Main tasks of the Youth Policy Unit of Youth affairs: Drafting and implementing of State youth policy a) Drawing up policy documents and legal acts; b) Analysis of the impact of the policy; c) Working out recommendations within the framework of youth policy thematic directions for municipalities, state administrative institutions and to structures connected with youth affairs; d) Expressing opinions on the process of implementing the thematic directions of youth policy and on improving the legal acts. 2. Securing of the participation mechanisms for implementation of youth policy a) Organizing the work of the Youth Consultative Council; b) Organizing the work of the Consultative committee of youth organizations; c) Organizing of Latvian Youth Congress (Summit) every two years; d) Involvement of youth researchers; e) Organizing of youth forums twice a year; f) Establishing municipal youth policy councils; g) Establishment of a standing state administration inter-institutional work group. 3. Support to municipal youth infrastructure and to ensure the usage of leisure time. a) Establishment of youth initiative centres; b) Adapting the environment for the availability of physical activities; c) Support to complex development of municipal youth infrastructures. 4. Projects to support youth initiatives and youth organizations a) Implementing of the program “Youth in Action”; b) Support to projects of non-formal education and voluntary work; c) Support to initiatives that are urgent in regions; d) Training projects on directional issues of youth policy; e) Support program for developing the work of youth organizations and training. 5. Methodological support to develop regional youth policy Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 7 a) Job description of municipal youth affairs coordinator; b) Establishing of youth initiative centres; c) Drafting the strategy of municipal youth affairs; d) Creating the mechanisms of youth participation and ensuring their work; 6. Development of information system for youth a) Administration of portal www.jauantneslietas.lv; b) Administration of the section Youth Policy of the home page of the Ministry; c) Editing a monthly bulletin for the municipal youth work coordinators; d) Annual informative campaigns on current issues of youth policy; e) Editing of informative and methodological materials, including the translation of materials into the state language; f) 7. Initiating of researches on youth affairs. Improvement of youth consulting and training system a) Work with municipality youth affairs coordinators; b) Training of the leaders of youth organizations; c) Training for the representatives of municipalities on youth policy and drafting the municipal strategy of youth policy. 8. Ensuring the international cooperation on youth policy and representation of Latvia in the EU on youth policy. - Number of people who work in this ministry in the youth unit - 5 persons Director responsible for Youth in the Ministry – Mr. Andris Grafs (andris.grafs@izm.gov.lv) - Contact person in the youth unit competent for European youth policy – Mr. Edgars Bajaruns (edgars.bajaruns@izm.gov.lv) Other national public bodies who are directly involved in youth policies Other Ministries : Ministry of Defence - Ministry of Welfare Offices : State Agency “Youth international programme agency” Parliament commission in charge of youth issues Note: There is no one commission in charge of youth issues, but several with which responsible ministry cooperates on youth issues Name - Commission of European Affairs name of president / chair – Ms. Vaira Paegle role and competence – confirms Latvian positions for international cooperation Name - Education, Culture and Science Committee Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 8 - name of president / chair – Dr. Jānis Strazdiņš role and competence – responsible for education, valuates legislative acts on education Name - Subcommittee on Children rights name of president / chair – Mr. Jānis Dukšinskis role and competence – responsible legislative acts on children and young people, was supervising Youth 3.1.2 Regional public authorities with competencies in the youth field Since 1st of July 2009, when local administration and teritory reform took place, there is no regional or federal level authorities in Latvia. According to Law on Regional Development there are 5 regiona planning councils created from representatives of local governments. Role of planing regions is to ensure planning process of regional development, its coordination and cooperation between local and national gorvernment structures, including defining of the regions development long term goals, objectives and priorities by adopting regional planning documents. Therefor role of planing regions in youth policy is indirect and can be tackled via regional development plans not onley directily in youth policy fields, but aswell in different youth policy directions, as example youth unemployment or education. 3.1.3 Local public authorities with competencies in the youth field 3.1.3.1. Situation Since 1st of July 2009, when the first meetigng of the council of amalgamated local governments elected on 6th of June 2009 took place and chairnmen elected, there are 109 local governments and 9 republican cities functioning in Latvia. Starting from the first meeting of new councils the previosly existing local governments (26 district governments and 525 local governments) officially delegate their authority to amalgamated local governments. 3.1.3.2. Legislation According to Youth Law: (1) A local government, in executing the functions thereof, shall participate in the implementation of the State youth policy. The local government may also develop local level documents in the field of youth policy. (2) Local governments in their activities shall provide youth organisations and youth initiatives groups with an opportunity to engage in discussion of the decisions affecting the youth policy prior to the taking thereof. (3) A local government may establish an institutional system in order to ensure youth work by determining the responsible institution or appointing a specialist on youth affairs – that Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 9 person shall plan, perform and co-ordinate youth work in establishing an advisory commission on youth affairs or intending other procedures for performance of youth work. (4) If a specialist on youth affairs ensures youth work in a local government, he or she shall be trained in accordance with the procedures specified by the Cabinet. (5) If a local government establishes an advisory commission on youth affairs, which promotes the development and implementation of the co-ordinated youth policy, as well as the youth participation decision-making, local government specialists who perform youth work and representatives of youth organisations, youth initiatives groups or another association or foundation, which performs youth work, shall be included in the composition thereof. 3.1.3.3. Structures On the local level the main actors in youth policy are the municipalities and the institutions subjected to them, as well as the institutions subjected to line ministries and their local structural units. This report will look into the mechanism of youth policy planning and implementing on a regional and local level on some directions of youth policy, because most directions of youth policy are enacted in a centralized way. The mechanism examined hereinafter regards voluntary work, education and useful usage of the leisure time. Presently at eight municipalities the municipal strategy of youth affairs is placed. The tendency to work with the youth according to a certain policy which is useful for the municipality is continued and it has a disposition to increase. Most coordinators use state level youth policy as the basis of their work, as example now the Youth Policy Guidelines for years 2009 – 2018 or overall indicators for evaluation of local youth policy. 3.1.3.3.1. Advisory commission on youth affairs Advisory commission on youth affairs are institutions established by municipalities with a deliberate function on implementing youth policy and organizing youth work. For the most times the assignments of such commissions are to analyze, evaluate and draft proposals for youth policy and strategy making and implementing in the municipality. The objectives of the commissions are to attain cooperation and coordination of interests among municipal and state institutions, education establishments, enterprises and youth nongovernmental organizations for drawing up focused and long-term youth policy and its development in the municipality. Board members are usually representatives of municipality and youth organizations, sometimes also representatives of youth initiative groups. Since year 1999 commissions works in several district and local municipalities in Latvia 3.1.3.3.2. Youth initiative centres in municipalities Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 10 Youth initiative centre is a place or a room where the youth from a certain place can come at different times and spend their free time with their friends under the supervision of an adult (the coordinator or director of the centre). The objective of the centre is to create a possibility for the youth to gather together, to plan a good usage of their time, to receive information in compliance with their needs and interests, to give support to drafting and implementing of projects. The assignments of youth initiative centres are: to create a meeting place for the youth for carrying out activities that enhance development; to provide the necessary means for developing and implementing the self-initiative of the youth; to promote work with the youth by educational and informative activities to create a harmonic personality, taking into account the interests and demands of the target audience; to draft projects for work with the youth, attracting extra funding; to promote cooperation with schools and cultural agencies, the municipality and nongovernmental organizations. With the support of the Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs there are 39 youth initiative centres established in municipalities since 2004. (http://www.jaunatneslietas.lv/page/29) 3.1.3.3.3. Children and youth centres in municipalities The children and youth centres work as extracurricular agencies and they provide interest education to the children and youth. The children and youth centres offer to children and youth a useful usage of their leisure time by developing talents, and the centre supports initiatives and interests of the children and youth. Usually the children and youth centres work under municipal Education Board which is a municipal institution to enact the educational competency of the municipality. At the moment the State Youth Initiative centre coordinates the work of 69 children and youth centres in municipalities. 3.1.3.3.4. Municipal youth affairs coordinators Municipal youth affair coordinators work with the youth, with youth initiative groups and with youth organizations in different directions: employing leisure time, voluntary work, nonformal education, ensuring of youth participation in the local municipal administration. The youth affairs coordinator of the district, region, town or rural municipality plans and coordinates the work in the local territory, to give the youth support and assistance. Area of responsibility of municipal youth affairs coordinators: Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 11 • to solve youth-related issues by cooperating with youth organizations and youth initiative groups; • to promote the cooperation of the municipal agencies on youth issues; • to organize informative and educational activities in a certain administrative territory by involving municipality workers, youth organizations, youth initiative groups and the youth; • to consult the youth about non-formal education and voluntary work; • to coordinate the involvement of the youth into social life activities of a certain administrative territory and to provide methodological assistance to other municipality workers on youth issues; • to come up with suggestions on improving the state youth policy, as well as to the municipalities in coordinating and implementing youth policy; • to oversee and analyze the situation of youth work at a given administrative territory; • to draft programs to establish a system of support and assistance to the youth and to see coordinate its implementation; • to draft and submit to the municipality the budget means necessary to organize work with the youth, to rationally use the allocated funds and to work on attracting funds from projects, societies, foundations, businesses and other donors to ensure the implementation of youth affairs projects; • to take part in developing, implementing and coordinating regional and national projects and programs on youth work; • to promote the work of children and youth camps; • to make appropriate data and to create and update a list of children and youth organizations in a given administrative territory, to regularly inform about changes in the list for inclusion in the Latvian youth information system; • to coordinate international cooperation in youth policy. 3.1.3.3.5. Youth affairs specialist To determine the legal status of persons who carry out the municipality work with young people, youth specialist professional standard was draftted, it was accepted on 21st of May 2008 and was included in profesions clasificator on 20th of January 2009. Additionaly for youth affairs specialists to successfully carry out their functions, Cabinets bylaw on youth affairs specialist training which defines such trainings program content and length was accepted on year 2008, which was drawn up in accordance with the Youth Law Article 5, Fourth Part. Bylaw provides that in order to obtain a necessary knowledge and skills to carry out the professional obligation, youth affairs specialist within two years from the date on which he is employed, the training of youth affairs specialist training program for Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 12 at least 80 academic hours. As well, individuals who have participated in training programs, it is necessary to improve their professional knowledge and skills of every three years, mastering the training programs of certain topics 36 hours. Main obligations of youth affairs specialists according to the professional standard are: 1. Implement a youth policy, the municipality in cooperation with youth organizations and youth groups in the initiative. 2. Coordinate municipal bodies cooperation on youth policy. 3. Organize activities, projects and programs for youth policy laid down in the administrative area. 4. To advise the young people of non-formal education, participation opportunities, and volunteer work. 5. Encouraging young people to enter certain areas of public administration activities. 6. Provide proposals for national and local institutions for youth policy development, implementation and coordination. 7. Provide proposals for youth programs / operations. 8. Providing young people with the necessary information. 9. To coordinate international cooperation in youth policies. 10. Encouraging young people for personal development. 3.2 Youth welfare services (comprising public and/or non public actors) Structure and major organisations of (voluntary) social welfare and social services for young people 3.2.1. General Social Services in Latvia • home care — services at home for the satisfaction of the basic needs (e.g. meal, clothes, home, health care) of people who are not able to take care of themselves due to objective circumstances; • long-term social care and social rehabilitation institution — social institution which provides people who cannot take care of themselves due to old age or state of health, as well as orphans and children left without parental care with housing, full care and rehabilitation; • night shelter — a social institution providing lodging, dinner and personal hygiene opportunities for persons without a defined place of residence or people in a crisis situation; • shelter — a social institution that provides people without a defined place of residence or people in a crisis situation with the possibility of short-term residence, food, opportunities for personal hygiene and social assistance; Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 13 • crisis centre — a social institution where short-term psychological and other types of assistance are provided to persons in a crisis situation; • service apartment — an apartment that is let out and adjusted for a person with serious functional disorders in order to increase the possibilities for the person to live independently and to take care of himself or herself; • half-way house – a social rehabilitation institution in which short-term social rehabilitation services for people with mental impairments are ensured; • group house (apartment) — a separate apartment or house in which individual support for persons with mental impairments in the resolving of social problems is ensured; • institution for people who have served their sentence – social institution, which provides people who have served their sentence with social rehabilitation in order to stimulate them to return to daily life; • institution for people who suffer from addiction problems – social institution, which provides people who suffer from alcohol, drug and other psychotic stuff addiction problems with social rehabilitation; • day care centre — an institution which during the day provides social care and social rehabilitation services, development of social skills, education and opportunities of spending free time for persons with mental impairments, disabled persons, children from needy families and families with circumstances unfavourable to the development of the child, as well as persons who have reached the age that entitles one to receive the State old-age pension. 3.2.2. National level structures – welfare service planning and field division In Latvia different line ministries within their field of competence offers different welfare and social services for young people through different agencies and institutions assigned for them, the main actors and their competences are: 1) Ministry of Education and Science formulates, coordinates and enacts the education and youth policy. It has 79 institutions subjected to it, including varied highest, secondary and professional education state institutions, state agencies and State Centre for Education Content that carry out the policy of interest education. 2) Ministry of Defence supports and develops youth interest education and ways of spending leisure hours, which have the objective to educate the youth on state defence, develop patriotism, civil awareness, team spirit, courage, physical abilities and discipline. This assignment is carried out by the agency Jaunsardzes centrs which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence. In year 2008 around 7000 young people were involved in Jaunsardze (young guards) movement. Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 14 3) Ministry of Culture promotes the adoption of cultural values among the youth and provides the opportunity to master professional education programs in music, arts and choreography, as well as highest education programs on culture in the subjected institutions. 4) Ministry of Welfare develops youth-friendly state policy in the sphere of social services and social assistance, oversees its implementation and ensures support to unemployed youth and job seekers by organizing active employment activities. 5) Ministry of Regional Development and Local Governments has an indirect influence upon youth policy, as this is the leading state administration institution in the sphere of regional policy, overseeing and developing the work of the local governments, spatial planning policy and housing policy. 6) Ministry of Justice is the leading state administration institution on legal issues. It coordinates the public registers, the state policy on penal system and criminal punishment and its implementation. State Probation Service is subordinated to the Ministry of Justice, and it organizes forced labour and public work for minors, as well as gives assistance to the youth after they have served their sentence. Another institution subjected to the Ministry of Justice is Latvian Prison Administration which implements state policy on detention as means of security and imprisonment as criminal punishment. 7) Ministry of Health organizes health care for the youth, promoting the development of youth-friendly health care service. 8) Environment Ministry supports the initiatives that promote environmental thinking of the youth and education on sustainable environment. 3.2.3. Structures on local level There are many regional or local structures that provides different social and welfare services for general population, there are some providing services specifically for young people and there are many state programmes targeted on young people via general services, but all social and welfare benefits that are received in form of money are provided by The State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA), which is a state institution under supervision of the Ministry of Welfare, performing the public administration function in the area of social insurance and social services. SSIA main task is to administer the social insurance budget. 3.2.3.1. State Employment Agency (SEA) SEA is an institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Welfare of the Republic of Latvia (founded on April 17, 1991) it implements state policy in the field of unemployment reduction and job seeker support. The Agency’s work is regulated by the Regulations issued by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia No 425 “By-Law of the State Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 15 Employment Agency” (July 29, 2003). SEA mission is to become a bridge connecting employers and employees reducing unemployment and stimulating employment in Latvia. Main SEA Functions are - working with clients – employers, unemployed, job seekers; career counselling; international relations and EURES; provision of public awareness; improvement of the NVA services; European Social Fund; improvement of normative documents; capacity building; budget planning and control of financial expenditure. SEA has 55 regional and local centres or cabinets located across Latvia. There are several specifically targeted programmes and services for young people. Youth is one of SEA priority target groups. Main services provided by SEA are: For unemployed or job-seekers: support and motivation measures to increase competitiveness, int.al., career counselling services; seminars and counselling services on effective job seeking process, professional suitability, retraining, education and self-development; active labour market measures and preventive measures of unemployment reduction int.al. vocational training, retraining, qualification enhancement; informal education (modular training), practical training in an enterprise, paid temporary works, measures for unemployed representing disadvantaged groups, work try-out, measures to increase competitiveness, integrated inclusion programme, etc.; information about vacancies, career counselling services, rights and duties of unemployed/job seekers; information about opportunities to work abroad, provided by EURES (European Employment Services); promotion of internal and regional mobility. For pupils: summer employment activities; counselling services to choose the appropriate and suitable profession; group work regarding career planning; information about possibilities of further education. To start your own business: counselling services and group work on career planning; support and training to start business or self-employment activities. For employers: registration of vacancies and matching activities; training of unemployed for the required professions; participation in selection, examination and organization of vocational training groups; organization of subsidized workplaces for people at risk of social exclusion; participation in the organization of paid temporary works; Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 16 - organization of a dialogue between employers and unemployed, job interviews; EURES services for recruitment and selection of foreign workers (in the EU and the EEA); - processing of work invitations and harmonization of work performance contracts for employment of foreign workers (non-EU citizens). 3.2.3.2. Children care institutions Children care institutions are social service institutions, which provide services for persons, who because of their health condition cannot take care of themselves and for orphanages and children without parental care provides shelter, full care and social rehabilitation. Children care centres and day care centres are for children without parental care till age of 18 years or till 24 if they continue to study, at the moment in Latvia there are 58 different institutions: 5 state children social care centres; 3 specialized state children care centres for children with heavy insanity derangements; 37 municipal children social care centres; 4 family orphanage homes; 9 NGO orphanage homes. 3.2.3.3. Children and Youth education and health centres Children and Youth education and health centres are institutions developed in framework of youth friendly health services. Main aims of centres are to promote healthy lifestyle and provide health related consultations. Centres work in three main directions: a) educational direction – different formal and nonformal education services for groups on health issues; b) individual consultation direction – physical and mental health related individual present and distance consultations; c) recreational and educational event organization direction in different health related themes. 3.3 Non-public actors/structures & youth services with competencies in the youth field 3.3.1 Youth councils 3.3.1.1. The National Youth Council of Latvia (LJP) Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 17 LJP was founded in 1992 as a children's and youth public organization whose members are youth organizations and youth organization associations. In year 2008 LJP had 45 member organizations. LJP's tasks: to gather the views of young people, explore their options, preferences in different regions of Latvia and to help them implement the various youth NGOs. LJP‘s main task is to represent the interests of young people in Latvia and in international institutions. The mission of LJP is to promote youth organizations, development and comprehensive cooperation, to motivate young people to get involved. LJP functions provide seven Board members (who are elected from member organizations) and the LJP permanent office people, which are overseen by the Executive Director. Every year, the Congress decides on admission of new member in next year's plans, as well as during the Congress is the president and the Board elected. LJP is a member organization of the European Youth Forum and organizations in Latvia such as the Civil Alliance Latvia and the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation. Areas of LJP operation: 1. Defence of interests 2. Foreign affairs and development cooperation 3. Information and identification of youth organizations 4. LJP Development and Cooperation 5. The formation of new organizations Web page: http:\\www.ljp.lv Contact person for international affairs: a) LJP president Laura Zvejniece (laura.zvejniece@ljp.lv) b) LJP vice-president Uldis Šalajevs (uldis.salajevs@ljp.lv) 3.3.1.2. Regional and municipal youth councils There are many regional and municipal youth councils established, especially in cities, which often functions in close cooperation with local municipality. The structure, members and tasks may differ case by case and are defined by local reality and needs. As example one of the biggest municipal youth council is Riga City School Council, which unites all Riga’s city pupil’s councils as members and involves youth organizations active in Riga city. Its main tasks are to work with pupil’s councils in Riga, support young people and to participate in municipal youth work planning and implementation. As other example is city of Liepaja, where are City youth organization network of 12 youth organizations. To contrary Rezeknes city youth council unites youth organizations and pupil’s councils as its members. And different models are possible, as example, Kraslavas city youth council, which unites young people and youth organizations as members from all region. Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 18 Contact information of mentioned youth councils, other youth councils can be tracked via municipality web pages: Riga City School Council - rsd@riga.lv Liepaja City youth organization network - ljc@jauns.lv Rezekne city youth council - dace.svilane@inbox.lv Kraslavas city youth council – kpjp@inbox.lv 3.3.1.3. Pupil’s councils Pupil’s councils can be established according to Law on Education in every overall education institution, they act as an independent pupil’s institution which participates in the educational institutions work. Their aim is to lobby and unify interests of pupils and administration of educational institution in order to obtain active pupils participation in educational work. Main tasks are to: cooperate with the administration of education institutions and teachers; represent pupils interests in negotiations with the administration of education institutions and teachers; promote effectiveness of the learning process; engage in process of improving learning and living conditions in the educational institution; collect students' proposals and implement them to shape public life of educational institutions; collaborate with other education institutions in communities, municipalities, public institutions and public organizations. But in practice their tasks and results differs according to local possibilities and might be other. No statistic data available on number of established and active pupils councils due to fact that they can be established in every educational institution as co-management body. Work of pupils councils are supported by municipal youth affairs coordinator (youth affairs specialist) and State Youth Initiative Centre. According to study done on 2007 ("Study on Youth Social and Political Activities in Latvia", Riga, 2007, p. 89, available online - http://www.jaunatneslietas.lv/upload/dokumenti/petijiums.doc) around 13% of young people are involved in pupils council work. 3.3.2 Youth NGOs According to Youth Law section 6 youth organization is an association registered in the Register of Associations and Foundations, which conforms to all of the following criteria: Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 19 1) one of the purposes of activity specified in the statutes of the association is youth work, the promotion of youth initiatives and participation in decision-making and social life; 2) at least two thirds of the members of the association are children and young people or also several associations, where in total at least two thirds of the members are children and young people; and 3) participation of young people is ensured in administrative institutions of the association, and the procedures for this participation are specified in the statutes of the respective association. According to survey done in 2008 (“Attitude towards participation in youth organizations”, Latvia, 2008, p.10, available online - http://www.jaunatneslietas.lv/upload/dokumenti/atskaite_bglmmonit_082008.pdf) 10.5% of young people are actively involved in youth organizations. There has not been done study of how many youth organizations are active in Latvia, according to data base of Ministry of Education and Science there are 72 youth organizations. Full list and their contact information is available in online data base - http://www.jaunatneslietas.lv/page/41?&qpage=1, where organizations are included after their demand. Almost all active youth organizations who participate in youth policy planning process on are members of National Youth Council of Latvia (http://www.ljp.lv/content/view/32/33/lang,lv/ ). 3.4 Other structures 3.4.1. Youth Advisory Council (YAC) According to Youth Law section 4, since year 2009 YAC was created. YAC is advisory institution established by the Cabinet, the objective of which is to promote the development and implementation of the co-ordinated youth policy, as well as the youth participation in decision-making and social life. Delegated representatives of the State administration, local governments and youth organisations are included in the composition of the YAC. According to Cabinets bylaw accepted on 2nd of December 2008 about YAC it consists of representatives from 6 ministries and Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, Latvian Students union, National Youth Council of Latvia and 5 representatives from youth organizations chosen in open tender. According to Cabinets decree on YAC personnel, 5 chosen youth organizations Members of YAC are: a) Latvian Scouts and Guides Association Central organization; b) Children and youth support organization “TEV”; c) Organization “Youth Consultations”; d) Youth organization association “IMKA Latvia” (YMCA); e) Organization “First”. Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 20 3.4.2. Consultative commission of Youth organizations (CCYO) CCYO is a consulting institution established to ensure the participation of youth organizations in the process of planning, implementing and evaluating youth policy. The main task of the CCYO is the analysis of current situation in youth policy, identification of problems and drafting of proposals for development for the Ministry of Education and Science. 12 leaders of youth organizations are members of the CCYO. The CCYO is chaired by the director of Youth Policy Unit of the Ministry. 4. Legislation Articles of the constitution concerning youth explicitly There are no articles of the constitution concerning youth explicitly. National legislation on youth Youth Law - adopted on 8 May 2008 by Saeima (Parliament). Purpose of Youth Law is to improve the life quality of young people – persons from 13 to 25 years of age – by promoting their initiatives, participation in decision-making and social life, as well as by supporting youth work. Youth Law determines the persons involved in the implementation of the youth policy and the competence thereof in the field of youth policy, youth participation in the development and implementation of the youth policy, as well as the basic principles for granting of financing to youth initiatives, for participation in decision-making and social life and for youth work. Based on Youth Law three bylaws were accepted by Cabinet: 1) Regulation of Youth Advisory Council (Adopted on 02.12.2008, bylaw nr. 985) – regulates work of Youth Advisory Council; 2) Regulation of Youth affairs specialist training (adopted on 16.12.2008, bylaw nr. 1047) – regulates youth affairs specialist training system – necessary skills, competences and knowledge to work as youth affairs specialist according to professions standard. 3) Regulation of procedures for granting of financing from the State budget, which is provided for promotion of young people initiatives and participation in decision-making and social life, as well as for youth work (adopted on 16.12.2008, bylaw nr. 1018) – regulates process of open call competitions for financial support from the State budget for: a) youth organizations for projects, the objective of which is the promotion of youth initiatives and participation in decision-making and social life, as well as projects for youth work; b) local government and an association or a foundation, a project of which is oriented towards youth work; Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 21 c) youth organizations for operational support of their activity. Regional and local legislation on youth As local legislation there can be municipal binding acts drafted, which can specify the administrative order in municipality or other restrictions and regulations municipality can pass according to Law on Local Governments. No information on specific examples of such binding acts is available and further survey should be done. 5. National Programmes on youth 5.1. Youth policy guidelines for years 2009-2018. Youth policy guidelines for years 2009 - 2018 is a long-term policy planning document for next 10 years, aimed at achieving a coherent youth policy implementation and coordination, and identifying priority action lines and policies, creating a vision of development in relation to the life quality of young people and youth policy. The guidelines identified the key challenges for youth, as well main action directions, main challenges and the policy and operational results of the next 10 years in youth policy field. Within guidlines the youth policy aim is to improve young people's quality of life by promoting their initiatives, participation in decision-making and public life, supporting youth work, and ensuring a smoother transition from child to adult status. Objective of guidelines is to achieve harmonized coordination and implementation of youth policy on state and local level, identifying priority action lines and policy results, creating vision after 10 years connected to youth life quality and realization of youth policy. To achieve mentioned aim and fullfile objective three main dimensions of youth policy were defined were state interfierences are necessary: a) dimension of youth policy coordination; b) dimension of youth participation and useful utilization of leisure time; c) dimension of youth social and economical growth and support to youth competitiveness and inclusion in society. Action plans i.e. official strategies Name and describe (very shortly) the national action plans on youth Every year Ministry of Education and Science according to state level programme drafts a yearly programme, which includes specific actions and events to implement Youth policy state programme for years 2009-2013. Based on annual programme State budget for youth policy is allocated. Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 22 Programmes and actions for specific target groups Each institution within field of competence is drafting yearly work programme which includes actions for specific target groups, as example young drug abusers, unemployed young people, etc. More information on point 3.2.2. 6. Budget / Public expenditure allocated to youth National level – Taking in consideration budgetary planning in Latvia and according to Law on Budget and Financial Management there is no practise to count all state budget that is allocated for youth related activities in different fields. Budget for year 2009 to implement Youth policy state programme for year 2009 after amendments of State budget on 1st of July 2009 is 174 965 LVL (aprox. 249 950 euro). Regional level – No such budget is allocated on regional level. The budget on local level for youth can be different, yet no such survey to calculate how much is allocated to youth work on local level is done. 7. European Dimension of youth policy 7.1 Council of Europe programmes or activities implemented in an important way for youth purposes Different activities when possible – information campaigns or training activities are carried out. According to statistics there is passivity regarding youth organization activity when applying projects to European Youth Foundation. One of activities carried out on national level is translation of Council of Europe T-Kits. In year 2007 Council of Europe European Portfolio for Youth leaders and Youth workers was translated and printed in Latvian. Throughout year 2008 copies of Portfolio was spread out between youth affairs specialists and youth centre workers in Latvia, additionally training seminar to promote Portfolio was carried out. 7.2 European Union programmes YOUTH Programme in Latvia is carried out by State agency “International youth programme agency” acting under Ministry of Children, Family and Integration Affairs according to guidelines of programme. National website of Eurodesk is incorporated in National Agency web page (www.jaunatne.gov.lv). In year 2008 National Agency organized 27 national training seminars for Programme users, involving 520 participants, additionally 5 seminars where organized for beginners involving 115 young people never worked with YOUTH Programme before. In year 2008 290 project where submitted out of which 112 projects Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 23 where approved for funding; 67 projects of approved ones involved altogether 741 youngsters with fewer opportunities. Other EU programmes implemented in an important way for youth purposes State Education Development Agency (VIAA) has been established in order to implement national policy in the area of initial and further education, undertake the implementation and monitoring of projects financed by EU Structural Funds, as well as provide for the administration of EU Programmes and other financial instruments, projects and initiatives. VIAA using EU Structural fonds has carried out project "Carrier education programmes in education system“ (KIPNIS) durring which they have developed Nationals education oportunity data base - NIID.LV. State Agency "Academic Programme Agency" (APA) is promoting the implementation of EU education programmes and other national and international education development projects. All EU and other international posibilities for young people connected to formal education and life-long learnig programmes can be found. 8. Forthcoming events/conferences 8.1 Current developments/plans with regard to national legislation/guidelines No plans’ regarding national legislation/guidelines at the moment are not foreseen due to the situation with state budget and reforms taking place in Latvia. 8.2 Current developments/plans with regard to European youth policy priorities At the moment no important events are scheduled. Country sheet on youth policy – Latvia 24