The Regional Policy Forum on data availability, youth participation and institutional responsiveness brought together more than 130 participants from Western Balkans and Türkiye. Held from 24 to 26 September in Kruševo, North Macedonia, as part of the EU-funded regional project “Stronger voices for better choices - Youth Hub for WB&T”, the Forum focused on the question of how to ensure that youth policies are based on reliable, accessible and regularly updated data. The lack of comparable data makes it difficult to understand young people’s circumstances; identify the barriers they face and develop measures that respond to their actual needs.
Findings from the last Youth Participation Index, which tracks young people’s political, social and economic participation, provided the starting point for discussion. Particular attention was given to barriers to civic engagement, gender differences in participation, trust in institutions and unequal access to opportunities and decision-making processes.
Through a panel discussion and working sessions, participants explored what existing data reveals and which aspects of young people’s lives and which groups of young people remain insufficiently visible. Discussions also examined opportunities for cooperation among public institutions, state statistical offices, civil society organizations, researchers and young people to improve data collection, availability and use.
The Forum created space for regional stakeholders to connect and define next steps towards better youth policies. Accessible data is essential to ensuring that young people’s needs and experiences are recognized and that their voices carry greater weight in decisions affecting their present and future.
