NEWS

Regional Cooperation and Youth Empowerment through Sport in the Western Balkans

This week, on October 29 and 30, 2024, GIZ’s Sport for Development in the Western Balkans, together with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), invited participants to a conference on “Regional Cooperation and Youth Empowerment through Sport” in Skopje, North Macedonia. 

The “Scoring Development Conference” brought together a diverse group of NGO representatives, institutions, and young leaders working in the youth and sport sectors to engage in discussions and share their insights. 

Prominent speakers included North Macedonia's Deputy Minister of Social Policy, Demography, and Youth, Mr. Gjoko Velkovski, as well as Mr. Albert Hani, RYCO Secretary General, and Mr. Jan-Axel Voss, Deputy Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Skopje. 

In addition to two panel discussions that provided different perspectives on youth empowerment and regional cooperation through sport, the conference offered an interactive Experience Lab. In the Lab, participants engaged in thematic groups to dive into practical experiences on Sport for Development, the Impact of Sport on Employability Skills, and Sport in Youth & Social Work. 

The conference provided an opportunity to showcase Sport for Development’s success stories in the Balkans and to demonstrate its effectiveness in promoting youth empowerment to a diverse group of stakeholders, including members of national governments and regional organizations. 

“Scoring Development” highlighted the importance of continuing to foster collaboration between the fields of youth work and sport. It created a platform to exchange insights and ideas on future cooperation. RYCO, as a key partner, is committed to adopting Sport for Development as a vehicle for regional cooperation and youth development and will act as a catalyst in the Western Balkans to drive this approach forward in partnership with GIZ.