Youth Advisory Group (YAG) - Public Call for participants

The Youth Advisory Group (YAG) will serve as a youth mainstreaming instrument designed to ensure the effective formulation and integration of representative youth perspectives into the policies, planning and programmatic activities of the OSCE Mission to Skopje. It will provide substantial input to the Mission on youth-specific concerns, needs, priorities, aspirations and vulnerabilities. Additionally, YAG will work to raise awareness of these issues and promote OSCE values.

YAG will consist of a motivated group of young individuals from diverse backgrounds and communities across North Macedonia, many of whom are actively engaged in their local communities and the civil society sector. The Group will provide an inclusive platform for youth to contribute their perspectives to the work of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

YAG’s work will be co-ordinated by the YAG Co-ordinator, who also serves as the Mission’s Youth Focal Point. The capacity (i.e., awareness, knowledge, skills, etc.) of YAG members will be continuously developed through in-house guidance and consultations, participation in Mission activities and events, trainings, and other opportunities.

Mission of the YAG

Providing a youth perspective on youth-related and other issues that derive from the Mission’s priorities, including implementation and evaluation of the Mission’s activities.

The objective of YAG

The objective of the Mission’s Youth Advisory Group is to assemble a proactive, competent, and diverse team of young volunteers from across North Macedonia who can offer creative insights on political, social, and economic issues; provide substantial input on youth-specific concerns, needs, priorities, aspirations, and vulnerabilities; and help raise awareness and promote OSCE values.

The main benefits of YAG

• Broad, varied and highly representative perspectives on political, social and economic issues;
• Insights that enable improved understanding of youth-related challenges;
• Formulation of more relevant, responsive and effective Mission plans and activities, particularly on improving the position of youth in North Macedonia;
• More youth-relevant, youth-friendly and youth-inclusive activities;
• Greater, more targeted, and more effective engagement/participation of youth, including in rural, isolated and diverse communities;
• More effective and formalized communication with youth organizations, organizations for youth and umbrella organisations, student councils and associations, local youth councils, youth centres and other youth actors;
• Improved entry points and networks for Mission co-operation with youth-oriented stakeholders.

The YAG structure (group composition and the selection process)

• A diverse and highly representative group of young people (ages 15-29) from across North Macedonia;
• YAG members will serve as volunteers without a time-limited mandate;
• Members will be selected through a public call for applications;
• The group will ensure adequate representation of different views and broad geographic coverage;
• Diversity will be ensured in terms of ethnic and religious affiliation, as well as academic and socio-economic backgrounds;
• Gender balance will be maintained.

The OSCE Mission to Skopje invites you to become a member of the Youth Advisory Group. We are looking for 7 to 9 citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, aged 15 to 29, who are fluent in English and passionate about driving positive change in their communities.

The application period is open from 29 July to 15 August 2025. All applicants will receive a confirmation acknowledging receipt of their application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next steps! Selected participants will be announced on our website and social media platforms once the process is finalized. They will also be invited to the Mission’s premises for the official launch of the YAG.

All formal communication and correspondence among YAG members and the OSCE Mission to Skopje, including with the YAG Coordinator, will be conducted exclusively in English. Apply now and join this dynamic group of young leaders and changemakers!

Fill out the application form here: https://forms.gle/rc1THRR65NwdQiHj7