The Office for Youth champions the interests of the youth and the youth sector, acting as the main coordinator of activities in the framework of youth policies and providing for comprehensive measures to improve the status of young people in Slovenia. In collaboration with state authorities and local communities, the Office monitors the status of the youth and the impact of all measures implemented to increase the inclusion of youth needs and interests in the shaping of policies. Operating since 1991 as an autonomous body within the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Office is a state authority in the field of youth work, shaping youth policies in a relatively independent manner, including by providing financial support for youth programmes and promoting research on youth. It is an active member of the relevant EU bodies, the Council of Europe and other international organisations concerned with the status of the young, thereby ensuring, through international cooperation, a strong youth sector in Slovenia to meet the objectives of youth policy also at the European level.