Nine Croatian cities receive “City for Youth” title

The certificate recognises the outstanding youth policies of cities

On 26 March, the Association of Cities in the Republic of Croatia revealed that nine cities have been awarded the "City for Youth" certificate. This title is given to those who are recognised for their exceptional work and show clear dedication to improving the quality of life of young people.

Eight thematic areas

Youth policies are evaluated and judged across eight thematic areas: participation, demographic incentives and measures, recruitment, mobility, health and sports, youth work and culture, education, and informing. The Commission which assesses and subsequently awards the cities consists of several members from the following youth work organisations and institutions:

• The Central State Office of Demography and Youth
• The Institute for Social Research in Zagreb
• The Agency for Mobility and EU Programs
• The Croatian Youth Network
• The Alliance of Societies "Our Children"
• The Association of Cities in the Republic of Croatia

Award winners

Out of the 32 cities that initially applied for this certificate, only the following nine have met the criteria and received the title of City for Youth 2021-2024:

• Koprivnica
• Labin
• Novska
• Opatija
• Rijeka
• Šibenik
• Varaždin
• Zabok

The applicants who were not awarded will receive comments from the evaluators and the Commission. It is expected that this will help them understand what areas they need to improve or develop further so that they can enhance the quality of their local youth policies. Furthermore, the work of the winners will be made public so that other cities can learn from their youth-centred initiatives and policies.

While this certificate is awarded for three years until 2024, the nine cities will be assessed after this period. If their policies still meet or exceed the quality standards set by the Commission, the titles will be extended. As such, the award not only acts as proof of the cities’ successes but also as an incentive to continue working hard on improving the lives of the youth.