REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
LAW on YOUTH POLICY FRAMEWORK
4 December 2003 No IX-1871
(Last amended on 10 November 2016 No XII-2778)
Vilnius
SECTION ONE
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Purpose of the Law
This Law shall establish principles of the implementation of youth policy, fields of the implementation of youth policy, organisation and management of the implementation of youth policy.
Article 2. Definitions
1. “Young person” shall mean a person between the ages of 14 and 29.
2. “Youth initiative” shall mean youth activity designed to meet youth needs.
3. “Youth organisation” shall mean an association registered in the manner prescribed by laws and other legal acts:
1) in which young people comprise not less than 2/3 of its members and/or
2) which includes not less than 2/3 of associations, where not less than 2/3 of members of each association are young people.
4. “Youth policy” shall mean a purposeful activity intended to resolve youth problems and to seek to create favourable conditions for the formation of the personality of a young person and his integration into public life, as well as an activity which has the purpose of achieving understanding and tolerance of society and individual groups thereof towards young people.
5. “Youth project” shall mean a purposeful activity of a group of young people or a youth organisation which is determined by the time limits of preparation and implementation, purposes, sources of financing, authors and the persons responsible for the implementation of the project.
6. “Lithuanian youth council” shall mean a youth organisation the principal purpose whereof is to unite youth organisations of Lithuania and to represent them.
7. “Regional youth council” shall mean a youth organisation the principal purpose whereof is to unite the youth organisations functioning in a territorial administrative unit of the Republic of Lithuania and to represent them.
8. “Organisation working with youth” shall mean a public legal person one of the purposes whereof is youth-oriented activity which meets their needs.
Article 3. Principles of the Implementation of Youth Policy
The main principles of the implementation of youth policy shall be as follows:
1) parity – state and municipal institutions and agencies as well as youth organisations are represented equally;
2) subsidiarity – youth-related decisions must be made at a level at which they are most effective;
3) interdepartmental co-ordination – when solving youth-related issues, state and municipal institutions and agencies communicate and co-operate with each other;
4) participation – youth-related issues are solved with the participation of young people and by co-ordinating them with youth or representatives of youth organisations;
5) informing – state and municipal institutions and agencies as well as youth organisations inform young people on the matters relevant to them in an acceptable and accessible form;
6) independence – young people themselves choose a field of activities, set its purposes, take an active part in it and are responsible for the fulfilment of the said purposes;
7) voluntariness – young people participate in a chosen field of activities of their own will and without pressure;
8) self-governance – in their activity young people set down ways, forms, responsibility and evaluation of the implementation of the purposes of this activity;
9) communication and co-operation – youth organisations of Lithuania communicate and co-operate with youth organisations of Lithuania and other countries, state and municipal institutions and agencies, other natural and legal persons.
Article 4. Fields of the Implementation of Youth Policy
Youth policy shall be implemented under the conditions laid down in international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania, laws and other legal acts in the following fields:
1) civic responsibility and performance of conscription;
2) education, teaching, science, studies and training;
3) non-formal education;
4) work and employment;
5) provision with housing;
6) leisure, rest, creative work and culture;
7) social and health care;
8) fitness activities, physical education and sport;
9) prevention of narcotic addiction and other forms of dependence;
10) crime prevention;
11) in other fields specified by laws and other legal acts.
Article 5. General Provisions of Youth Rights
Under the conditions set down by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania, laws and other legal acts, the parents of a young person or his other statutory representatives, state and municipal institutions and agencies, associations, other natural and legal persons must comply with the following provisions:
1) to create conditions for the young person to enjoy all youth rights and freedoms stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, international treaties of the Republic of Lithuania, laws and other legal acts;
2) to ensure that every young person would have the equal rights with other young persons and would not be discriminated for reasons of his or his parents', or his other statutory representatives’ gender, age, nationality, race, language, religion, convictions, social and financial position, marital status, state of health or any other circumstances;
3) to create conditions for the young person to have proper social environment;
4) to create conditions for every young person to obtain all-round education and to realise himself as well as to choose the most appropriate form of participation in society.
SECTION TWO
ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF YOUTH POLICY
Article 6. Institutions and Agencies which Implement Youth Policy
Within the sphere of their competence, youth policy shall be implemented by the Government, ministries, the Youth Department under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (hereinafter referred to as the “Youth Department”), other state and municipal institutions and agencies.
Article 7. Youth Department
1. The Youth Department shall prepare and implement state youth policy programmes and measures, analyse the condition of youth and youth organisations in Lithuania, co-ordinate the activities of state and municipal institutions as well as agencies in the field of youth policy, carry out other activities related to youth and youth organisations.
2. The Youth Department shall be a public legal entity having its bank account and a seal with the Lithuanian state emblem and its name inscribed therein.
Article 7(1). Council for Youth Affairs
1. A Council for Youth Affairs acting on a voluntary basis shall be formed under the Youth Department from representatives of state institutions, agencies and the Lithuanian Council of Youth Organisations in compliance with the principle of equal partnership. The composition of the Council for Youth Affairs and regulations thereof shall be approved by the Government on the recommendation of the Minister of Social Security and Labour.
2. The Council for Youth Affairs shall consider the main issues of youth policy and submit proposals to the Youth Department on the implementation of a youth policy meeting the needs of youth and youth organisations.
Article 72. Agency of International Youth Cooperation
The public body Agency of International Youth Cooperation shall implement and/or administer international and EU programmes in the field of youth policy. State budget appropriations (including European Union funds) may be allocated to perform the said functions.
Article 8. Formulation of Youth Policy and Implementation Thereof in Municipalities
1. Municipal institutions shall formulate and implement a municipal youth policy.
2. A municipal co-ordinator for youth affairs shall assist municipal institutions in the performance of this function. He shall be a civil servant.
3. A standing municipal council for youth affairs (for the duration of the term of office) or an ad hoc municipal council for youth affairs (for the examination of specific matters) may be set up by a decision of a municipal council. A municipal council shall approve regulations of a municipal council for youth affairs. A municipal council for youth affairs shall be set up according to the principle of parity from representatives of municipal institutions and agencies as well as youth organisations. A regional youth council shall delegate representatives of youth organisations to the municipal council for youth affairs.
CHAPTER THREE
YOUTH ORGANISATIONS
Article 9. Functions of Youth Organisations
Youth organisations shall perform the following functions:
1) attend to and satisfy the common needs and interests of young people or needs and interests of individual youth groups;
2) foster civic responsibility and respect for the family;
3) carry out informal education of young people;
4) organise employment, sport, tourism, cultural and professional activities of young people;
5) promote international co-operation of young people;
6) foster voluntary youth work;
7) carry out other activities which are in compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, international agreements of the Republic of Lithuania, laws, and other legal acts.
Article 10. Lithuanian and Regional Youth Councils
1. Lithuanian and regional youth councils shall co-ordinate unification of youth organisations in the fields of co-operation, information exchange, strengthening of potentials of organisations, and formation of a positive attitude towards public activity.
2. Aims of activities of Lithuanian and regional youth councils shall be as follows:
1) to encourage young people’s positive initiatives;
2) to promote co-operation and mutual understanding in the field of youth;
3) to foster youth activities useful for society and the state;
4) to initiate and encourage active participation of young people in public and civil life;
5) to represent youth interests in state and municipal institutions and agencies, relations with other legal and natural persons;
6) promote the development of youth organisations in regions.
CHAPTER FOUR
YOUTH AND EDUCATION
Article 11. Youth Non-formal Education
1. The purpose of youth non-formal education shall be to educate an intelligent person, capable of responsible and creative resolution of his problems and active participation in public life as well as to develop social competencies of young people.
2. Youth non-formal education shall be carried out by youth organisations, other legal and natural persons.
3. Youth non-formal education programmes and projects must conform to the principles of the implementation of youth policy.
Article 12. Self-governance in Institutions of Formal Education
The institutions of formal education operating in accordance with the procedure established by law must provide conditions for the operation of pupils’ and students’ self-governance institutions and ensure a possibility for them to take part in the taking of the decisions related to formal education.
CHAPTER FIVE
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 13. Control and Supervision of the Implementation of the Law
The Ministry of Social Security and Labour shall exercise control and supervision of the implementation of this Law.
Article 14. Recommendations to the Government
To recommend that the Government should pass the legal acts necessary for the implementation of this Law.
Article 15. Seimas Resolution Repealed
Upon the entry into force of this Law, the following Seimas Resolutions shall be repealed:
1) Resolution No I-1413 of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania of 27 June 1996 concerning the National Concept of Youth Policy (Valstybės Žinios (Official Gazette) No 65-1537, 1996);
2) Resolution No. VIII-338 of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania of 26 June 1997 amending the Annex to the Seimas Resolution concerning the National Concept of Youth Policy (Valstybės Žinios (Official Gazette) No 65-1559, 1997).
I promulgate this Law passed by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.
president of the republic ROLANDAS PAKSAS