Our third program focuses on research, monitoring, and advocacy. One of the key challenges we encounter while designing and advocating for policies that address the needs and experiences of the youth is the lack of research. This results in limited institutional capacity to operate based on fact-based knowledge about young people and their requirements. Furthermore, there is a deficiency in civil society-led mechanisms that can systematically monitor the work of institutions, hold them accountable, and ensure that they align with global developments in the field of youth policy and adopt best practices. 

In Albania and the region, advocacy on youth issues is frequently carried out for the youth, rather than by the youth themselves. With our program, we aim to address this prevailing gap and challenge the lack of dedicated, in-depth, independent, and youth-led advocacy on youth issues.

We are actively engaged in conducting research to explore the underutilized fields of youth policy in Albania, such as the localization of the UN Youth, Peace and Security Agenda (YPS Agenda). Collaborating with a diverse network of civil society and institutional stakeholders at both national and international levels, we invest efforts in lobbying to bring about change.

Involving our young members and colleagues in advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns, our objective is to challenge existing narratives surrounding the youth. An accomplishment we take great pride in is indirectly influencing party manifestos to include provisions on reducing the voting age of Albanians, thereby amplifying the voices of the youth in national politics. Another accomplishment is piloting the Peace Week in Albania and leading the way for the creation of a broad civil society coalition for the YPS Agenda.