State youth policy is a system of socio-economic, organizational and legal measures implemented by the state and aimed at supporting and developing young^[124] people.

Youth policy – is a strategy implemented by public authorities to provide young people with the opportunities and practical experience necessary for successful integration into society and functioning as active and responsible members of their societies and initiators of change.

Youth politics deals with diverse but interrelated aspects of young people's lives, such as well-being, learning, participation in democratic processes, and inclusion. Youth policy can open up opportunities for young people to master the knowledge, skills and approaches necessary to find their place in society, achieve independence, participate in civil society processes, and enter the labor market. Young people, for their part, may perceive some elements of youth policy either as options for meaningful use of free time with an emphasis on positive values (cohesion, group solidarity, etc.), or as an opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle, or as programs to promote entrepreneurship, or as a means of accessing youth-oriented justice and so on. One way or another, youth policy gives young people a chance to choose «their own» from all the values from today.

Youth policy – is a comprehensive set that includes all strategic aspects related to youth: social protection, health, housing, employment/entrepreneurship, formal education, etc., as well as such «cross-cutting» topics as social inclusion, youth participation in society, gender equality, etc. D.

Youth – is a social construct associated with the period of multidimensional transition from a state of dependence to independence, from childhood to adulthood. Young people are defined differently in different countries. At the EU level, the age range used for statistical purposes is usually between 15 and 29 years. According to Kazakhstan's legislation, young people are citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan from fourteen to thirty-five years old.

The State youth policy targets citizens aged 14 to 30 (in most countries), young families, and youth associations. Its subjects include State bodies and their officials, youth associations and associations, as well as young citizens themselves.

Youth policy primarily aims to achieve active involvement of the younger generation in the socio-economic, political, cultural and spiritual life of the country.

Youth work in the third millennium is the focus of public policy and public opinion in many countries around the world. According to the White Paper on Youth Policy of the European Union, youth work consists of eight areas:

- special work with young people (work with risk groups);

- interest-based education (free-time activities in accordance with the curriculum, including youth work at school);

- information about and for young people, as well as consulting and research, training;

- additional training and retraining in the field of youth work;

- health and development recreation of young people (activities of youth camps);

- labor education of young people (labor groups);

- international youth work^[125].

According to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 9, 2015 No. 285-V «On State youth policy», the purpose of state youth policy is to create conditions for full-fledged spiritual, cultural, educational, professional and physical development of young people, participation in the decision-making process, successful socialization and directing their potential for further development of the country.

The objectives of the state youth policy are:

- protection of the rights and legitimate interests of young people;

- involvement of young people in the socio-economic and socio-political life of the country;

- fostering citizenship and strengthening the sense of Kazakhstan's patriotism.

The State youth policy is based on the following principles:

- priority of cultural, moral and spiritual values;

- citizenship, responsibility, hard work;

- interfaith harmony and interethnic tolerance;

- continuity of generations, priority of family education;

- participation of young people in the formation and implementation of the state youth policy;

- a scientific, integrated and consistent approach to the formation and implementation of the state youth policy.

The main directions of the state youth policy are:

- providing affordable and high-quality education, developing scientific and technical potential;

- preservation and promotion of health, formation of a healthy lifestyle;

- creating conditions for employment and employment;

- creating conditions for the development of entrepreneurial activity among young people;

- development of affordable housing for young families and working youth;

- raising the level of legal culture, fostering intolerance to corruption;

- formation of ecological culture;

- promoting the development of talented young people;

- providing conditions for cultural leisure and recreation.

Key requirements for creating an effective and targeted youth policy:

- a clearly defined state structure responsible for working with young people, i.e. the body that leads, directs, coordinates and consolidates all activities in this area;

- clearly defined target audience, i.e. defining age boundaries and / or a comprehensive description of the groups that are beneficiaries of the youth policy;

- a concrete and transparent strategy and action plan, as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms: policy-making bodies and individuals should be accountable and able to learn and learn from experience in order to improve youth policy;

- scientific and informational base: identification and categorization of the needs of different groups of young people, research and statistics, empirical information obtained in the course of policy implementation;

- a concept that treats young people as a promising resource, rather than a problem, and aims to support young people and help them develop their potential and participate fully and positively in society;

- a belief in the need and opportunity to ensure meaningful participation of young people, i.e. young people who participate in political processes and are involved in youth organizations and society as a whole;

- intersectoral approach to youth policy, i.e. combining different spheres of activity in a single field that plays a significant role in the lives of young people and is not limited to the «youth sphere»;

- a dedicated sustainable budget: the needs of youth policy should be provided with sustainable, targeted and sufficient resources;

- strong links between local, regional and national levels, recognition of the competencies and areas of responsibility of all participants in the ESA process, focus on cooperation, coordination of efforts and partnership;

- alignment with international practices, focusing on existing norms, recommendations, and positive experiences.

Thus, the state youth policy is one of the most important areas of state activity, since it can be assessed, as a direct contribution to the future of the country. It is young people who can simultaneously be both a socio-demographic group, that destabilizes the country's situation, due to their social insecurity and lack of public attention, and the resource capital that can lead the state to a new higher level of development, opening up new opportunities for the country. Thus, it is important that the state policy is aimed specifically at maintaining and developing the creative potential of young people.

---

^[124] Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 9, 2015 No. 285-V "On State Youth Policy".https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z1500000285

^[125] European Comission White Paper: A New Impetus for European Youth. Brussels: EC. – 2001. – P. 11.