OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports capacity-building of youth services at local level

Young people must be actively engaged in democratic processes and their voices better heard and reflected in policy development and its implementation, said Dominique Waag, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro during the three-day training programme on capacity-building of youth services at local level, concluded on 18 March 2022 in Podgorica.

The training programme, which included topics to better address the needs and priorities of young women and men in local communities, was organized in co-operation with the Directorate for Sports and Youth and targeted local youth administrators working in youth services across Montenegro. Participants discussed results achieved so far, involvement of young people in planning, learned about tools and techniques of community mobilization and development of Action plan for youth services.

Ambassador Waag said that the Mission’s special attention to the young generation  is part of the overall OSCE commitments to enhance and include young people in the endeavours to foster common values and civic education, and a priority for Poland’s Chairmanship in 2022. “With this training course, we want to build up your leadership skills, thus strengthening the youth services in local municipalities. Local youth administrators should position themselves as face of the youth centre,” said Ambassador Waag. 

Marko Begović, Acting Director of the Directorate for Sports and Youth, encouraged administrators in their independence in work that goes along with building of their capacities. “Through active work with young administrators, the Directorate for Sports and Youth, as well as the OSCE Mission, strengthen the capacities of youth services, but also the work of young people in local communities,” said Begović.

This training course was the first out of three events planned in 2022. After each event, the Mission will support separate mentoring sessions for each local service, to ensure that the knowledge acquired is applied in their daily work.