CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
YOUTH ADVISORY GROUP (YAG)
The OSCE Presence in Albania (the Presence) is launching a call for committed and motivated young people from Albania to join its Youth Advisory Group (YAG). YAG was established in 2018 anchored in the belief that young people play a vital role as agents of change. Since than more than 25 young people have been part of this enriching experience. YAG primary role is to integrate a youth perspective (youth-specific considerations, concerns, needs, priorities and vulnerabilities) into the Presence planning and programmatic activities, as well as to raise awareness and promote OSCE values.
Are you a young person (18-29 years old), living anywhere in Albania with ideas and motivation to improve young people’s life and empower them to reach their full potential? If so, we encourage you to apply and join the existing YAG cohort group in 2026! We are looking for nine motivated young people who are eager to make a difference and bring fresh ideas.
Membership in the Presence’s Youth Advisory Group is a voluntary commitment. It requires a varying time commitment (approximately around 30 hours per month), depending on the plans and activities at hand. YAG members must be able to dedicate all the necessary efforts and commitment required for the timely and accurate fulfilment of their responsibilities, for the entire duration of their mandate of two years.
YAG members will be required to share their points of view regarding a variety of issues and to support the development of new perspectives related to youth at all programmatic activities of the Presence. YAG members will to identify concerns, needs, challenges, and priorities of youth in their communities, and address them by proposing possible actions and initiatives. YAG members are expected to display initiative and self-leadership as well as performed collegially as a group while supporting the Presence. This implies that they are able to conduct themselves in a professional manner, displaying solid work ethics and maturity in line with the OSCE competency model.
They will be invited to participate in events, at local, national or international level and to support the design, planning and organization of the Presence’s events with a youth component. The Presence will also provide all the support needed to
MANDATE OF YAG
YAG Members shall:
- Identify concerns, needs, challenges, and priorities of youth in their communities, and address them by proposing possible actions and initiatives to be taken by and with the OSCE PiA - Support the Presence in integrating youth perspectives in its programmatic planning and activities, by providing ideas and initiatives targeting youth; - Autonomously identify areas of action relevant for the youth, as well as possible strategies targeting youth which might be integrated by the Presence in the fulfilment of its mandate; - Promote and support the development of initiatives and activities regarding youth engagement; - Participate regularly in internal meetings and report to the Presence; - Raise awareness and promote OSCE values, mobilizing youth through diverse communication channels and activities.
APPLICANTS’ PROFILE
The Presence is looking for applicants who fulfil the following criteria: - The applicant must be an Albanian citizen of 18-29 years old; - The applicant must be a highly motivated young person with ideas on how youth can actively participate in the society; - The applicant must possess good interpersonal and communication skills, be respectful of diversity and able to work in a multicultural environment; - The applicant must be able to express views effectively in both oral and written forms in English and Albanian; - The applicant must possess teamwork skills and be able to work seamlessly within a team; - The applicant should demonstrate an interest in the values and principles of peace, security, democratization, etc.; - The applicant must possess the necessary time to participate actively in all assignments, activities and events; - Young people that comply with the criteria and are currently living in small and medium cities in Albania are highly encouraged to apply.
This position is held on a voluntary basis, for a mandate of two years.
Through the selection process, the Presence aims to create a diverse group of young people who are able to bring different views into the group. For this reason, individuals from all genders, places of origin/residence, ethnicities, religions, and professional/academic as well as socio-economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The selection process will aim for regional distribution and representativeness from various cities in Albania. Further, the Presence will equally strive to create an inclusive and mixed-ability group.
HOW TO APPLY
All interested candidates should apply by completing the application form and sending back via email at: dem-al@osce.org The application must be submitted by 05 January 2026. The application must be completed entirely in English.
Selected applicants will be notified within 30 working days from the application deadline. If by that time you will not have been contacted by the Presence, you may consider your application as unsuccessful. We encourage all applicants, however, to consider participating in open calls issued by the Presence in the future.
For more information about the call not included here, please contact: dem-al@osce.org Youth Advisory Group (YAG)
Consent Form
PROJECT OSCE Presence in Albania- Youth Advisory Group (YAG)
The OSCE Presence in Albania is launching a new call for committed and motivated young people from all over Albania to join its Youth Advisory Group (YAG). Young individuals aged 18-29 years will be selected as new members of its Youth Advisory Group in the upcoming months. They will support the existing YAG members to prop up Presence's efforts to integrate a youth perspective into its planning and programmatic activities.
PURPOSE You are invited to complete this form as part of your application process to serve as the new member of the Youth Advisory Group. If you start the application, you can always change your mind and stop at any time. However, an uncompleted application will not be considered for further evaluation. Through this survey/application form, we would like to understand more about you and how you fulfil the YAG membership criteria. The application form may take up to 20- 30 minutes.
CONFIDENTIALITY The information you enter is necessary, so you stand a chance to be qualified and selected for this application. The information will be stored on the OSCE servers as well.
However, the provided information will be used internally for the selection of successful candidates. However, no names or identifying information would be included in any publications or presentations based on these data, and your responses to this application will remain confidential.
ELECTRONIC CONSENT Please select your choice below. You may print a copy of this consent form for your records. Clicking on the “Agree” button indicates that.
• You have read the above information. • You voluntarily agree to participate. • You are 18 years of age or older.
Agree Disagree
Start with your application. Application Form
1. Name Surname - _____________________
2. Email address - _____________________
3. Mobile phone - _____________________
4. Gender - Female - Male
5. Date of birth - mm/dd/yyyy
6. Do you belong to any disadvantaged, vulnerable and/or marginalized groups? - YES - NO
If yes, please specify _____________ (optional)
7. Nationality - Fill the nationality__________________
8. Place of birth - City____________
9. Residence - Select (urban/rural), City____________
10. Please share a summary of your educational background or your plans for studies. (max. 500 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
11. Please share a summary of your previous work, volunteer or activism experience, that makes you a strong candidate for YAG. Focus to highlight your specific areas of interest with a particular focus on your activist work and the network you have built. (max. 1,200 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
12. In your opinion, what are the three main issues/challenges that Albanian youth is currently facing, and why? (max. 1,000 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
13. In your opinion, what are the three main contributions Albanian youth can offer to the wider society, and why? (max. 1,000 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
14. How would you describe the society in Albania and your role in it? (max. 1,000 characters, spaces included) _______________________________________________________________________ _
15. Please highlight why you are interested in being part of YAG and what you think you would bring to the Group. (max. 1,000 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
16. If you were to become part of YAG, please illustrate what would be the first activity or project you would like to implement, and why? (max. 1,000 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
17. Have you previously participated in any consultations, meetings, trainings or activities organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania? - YES - NO
If yes, please briefly describe which event(s) (max. 1,000 characters, spaces included) - _____________________________________________________________________
18. Please use the box below to share any additional information that you would like to share with us at this stage of application
Additional: Please upload a one-page Resume/CV (optional but highly recommended)