• • Tasks
  • Working Group
  • Secretariat
  • Terms of Reference

• Partner

• 
• Union of the Baltic Cities
• 
• Commission on Youth Issues
• 
• BSSSC
• 
• Baltic Sea Net

• Council of the
  Baltic Sea States

Tasks

Tasks of the WGYA and the Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs

The Baltic Sea Working Group on Youth Affairs (WGYA)Work Plan 2006-2008

Introduction

The aim of the Baltic Sea cooperation in the field of youth policy is to promote an active participation of young people, encourage youth exchange in order to promote a better understanding and knowledge of the Baltic Sea countries. The aim is furthermore to highlight the potential of young people and to recognise young people as a resource in society. This should be done by supporting youth cooperation through information and counselling and by promoting the development of youth policies, though exchanges of experiences, knowledge and common projects.

Cooperation with other regional structures

• The Working Group for Youth Affairs (WGYA) is reporting to the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and should keep close contact with its Secretariat. The WGYA will cooperate with other relevant working groups of the Council of Baltic Sea States on policies in the field of youth, especially with the working group on Children at Risk.


• The Baltic Youth Forum (BYF) is the major non-governmental partner in the implementation of the Work Plan. A common meeting between BYF and the WGYA should be investigated.
  The WGYA should also follow the work of other Baltic Sea structures, like the BSSSC, UBC and BSPC in the youth field.


• The WGYA should together with the Youth Committee of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Working Group on Youth Policy of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, take initiatives for regional activities and regional co-ordination during the Council of Europe Youth Campaign "All Different - All Equal on Diversity, Human Rights and Participation".


• The WGYA should cooperate with Youth Committee of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Working Group on Youth Policy of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council on information to various actors in the field of youth policy.

Voluntary work

• The WGYA should discuss, exchange information on and experiences from voluntary work and engagement in the youth field in the member countries, and describe various forms of voluntarism including voluntary work of the youth in developing society.


• The WGYA should encourage the use of the EU YOUTH programme, action on European Voluntary Service in long-term exchanges between non-governmental youth organisations and between actors in the youth field, and in the preparation and carrying out of larger projects and activities in the region.

Youth entrepreneurship and employment

• The WGYA should exchange information on the situation of youth unemployment in the member countries.


• The WGYA should exchange experiences on how different methods and actions to solve the youth unemployment has been carried out in the member countries.


• The WGYA should exchange information on and experiences from youth entrepreneurship programmes and actions in the member countries.


• The WGYA should in cooperation with the non-governmental sector, study the possible role of youth organisations and youth actors in the region in supporting youth entrepreneurship in order to contribute to youth employment.


• A good example of this could be the BYF project on “Youth Unemployment and Mobility, Youth Employment Initiatives and Integration of Disadvantaged Youth in the Baltic Sea Region”.

Intercultural cooperation, people- to- people contacts

• The WGYA should encourage the BYF, non-governmental youth organisations and youth groups in the region and other actors in the youth field to carry out activities, projects, exchanges and other forms of multilateral cooperation in the region.


• The WGYA should investigate the possibility and feasibility to organise a conference with broad participation from all the member countries during the period 2006 - 2008.


• The WGYA should encourage the National Agencies of the EU Youth Programme to contribute to the intercultural cooperation and strengthen the people to people contacts between youth in the region.


• The WGYA should provide information, help in partner finding and counselling youth groups and actors in the youth field.

Youth research and relations to youth researches

• The WGYA should improve its contacts with networks of youth researchers in the Baltic Sea Region.


• Members of the WGYA should exchange information on relevant research in the field of youth policy taking place in the member countries.


• The WGYA could also take initiatives to carry out research on themes relevant for the youth cooperation in the region.

Specified definition of the tasks of the WGYA's Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs (BSSYA)

Support of Ministries responsible for youth policy

The Secretariat will function as service institution for all the ministries responsible for youth policy in the Baltic Sea Region for the general improvement of the framework conditions of youth policy and youth work in the region. This includes information collection, distribution and co-ordination on behalf of the ministries responsible for youth policy.

Support and Co-ordination

The Secretariat will support and coordinate the actors in the of youth policy field in the Baltic Sea Region which are the following:

• National Ministries responsible for youth policy


• National Agencies for the EU YOUTH Programme


• Network of Regional/Local Representatives for youth issues


• National Youth Councils (Baltic Youth Forum)


• Youth Projects


• Network of youth researchers


• International organisations

The Secretariat will collect and distribute information about their activities in the field of youth. If needed the Secretariat will support or accompany the activities.

Information

In order to enhance an information strategy existing information material and media will be evaluated. The Secretariat uses the following methods:

• The Newsletter will be sent out every three months with information on the current development of the co-operation and the main projects,


• The web site will be updated regularly regarding projects, activities, dates, links and other fields of interest,


• Support of the development of an interactive youth server with web space for young people.

Information on financing for youth co-operation is an important field. Existing information resources will be updated (Baltic Sea Desk) and research will be done on possibilities how to use alternative national and international funding besides the EU YOUTH Programme.

Conferences

An objective of the co-operation is to invite the above-mentioned actors to participate in a conference organised on regular basis to evaluate ongoing co-operation and to take new initiatives. The Secretariat will accompany the preparation of these events regarding organisation and contents together with the steering committee. The Secretariat will support and follow up the implementation of the new initiatives agreed upon.

Institutional Co-operation

The Secretariat will work together with other co-operation structures in the Baltic Sea Region such as the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS), Baltic 21, the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) as well as regional actors like the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC), the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Secretariat will work as a contact point supporting the transfer of knowledge and information between the NGOs and the political bodies in the region.