Youth councils and their participation on the decision-making process on a local level in Poland

Youth Councils in Poland have been operating since 2001. According to the Act on commune self-government, these councils are consultative entities whose purpose is, inter alia, giving opinions on normative acts issued by local government bodies. The article presents the results of research carried out as part of the project ‘From dialogue to deliberation. Non-public entities as (not) present participant in the local decision-making process’. The research covered Youth Councils and the participation of these entities in the decision-making process at the local level in Poland.

Youth Councils as Entities of Youth Participation in Local Communities – Legal Analysis of Art. 5b of the Act on Municipal Self-Government of March 8, 1990

The article is part of a publication cycle on research on the institution of communal youth councils in local self-government communities in Poland. This publication analyzes the current legal regulations regulating the functioning of youth councils. Additionally, the legal basis for participation was presented, taking into account the provisions of the Polish Constitution as well as the act on municipal self-government. The essential part of the article is the analysis of the original wording of Art. 5b of the Act on Municipal Self-Government and the changes that have occurred in it after the amendment of April 20, 2021.

The article is part of a series of publications on the activities of youth councils in local selfgovernment communities. It focuses on describing the functions performed by such entities and attempts to answer the question about which of the functions performed by youth councils is of key importance in the opinion of councillors. The article is based on empirical research (quantitative research) conducted using a questionnaire. The research was carried out in 18 voivodship cities in Poland, and its aim is to expand the discussion on the functioning of youth councils as structured entities within local self-government units.

Youth councils at local government units in the world – a review of research on selected examples

The article is part of a publication cycle on the activities of youth councils at local government units. The introduction to the publication discusses the current state of research on the issues of youth councils in Poland and in the world, the purpose of the research and the hypothesis. The main part of the article presents examples of the activity of youth councils at local government units that operate not only in Poland or Europe, but all over the world. The publication presents, inter alia, youth councils operating in Great Britain, the United States of America and Canada.