The Austrian National Youth Council is the official and legally established representative body of children and youth in Austria. Together with our 53 member organisations we are a strong voice for the diverse interests and ideas of young people. Our common abbreviation in Austria is BJV (Bundesjugendvertretung), while on an international level we call ourselves ÖJV (Österreichische Kinder- und Jugendvertretung).
Regarding youth issues we have the status of a social partner in Austria. This means that we take part in political negotiations on behalf of young people. We advocate for the concerns of 3 million young people, from age 0 to 30. In its current form the BJV (ÖJV) was established in 2001 when the Austrian Federal Youth Representation Act came into force. This means we have now been advocating for youth rights for more than 15 years. Biennial we elect two European Youth Delegates (EYDs) who represent our interests towards the YFJ and other European Partners and networks.