The Youth Section of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia, also known as YATA Slovenia, brings together young professionals who seek to be actively involved in Euro-Atlantic security debates and decision-making processes. It unites individuals with a strong interest in national, regional, and international security, international relations, and Euro- and transatlantic cooperation.
The Youth Section operates as the youth branch of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia, a voluntary, non-profit, and independent expert organization founded in 1993. The Council works to strengthen peace, security, and democratic stability across the Euro-Atlantic area and the Western Balkans.
The mission of the Youth Section is to promote peace, security, democratic resilience, and strategic understanding of contemporary security challenges, and to contribute to stability both in Slovenia and across the wider Euro-Atlantic region and the Western Balkans. These goals are pursued through education, research, publishing, the organization of expert and public events, and international cooperation. The flagship annual event of the Youth Section is Balkan SAYS – Security Architecture Youth Seminar, a multi-day international security conference.
Through its activities, the Youth Section provides a dynamic platform where a new generation of analysts, researchers, and future decision-makers can engage with complex security issues in a cooperative, professional, and forward-looking environment.
The Youth Section of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia is a full-fledged member of the international network of Atlantic Councils within the Youth Atlantic Treaty Association (YATA International). Its members regularly participate in international conferences, seminars, and study visits organized by partner national YATA associations. This enables them to gain insight into diverse security perspectives and to build professional networks with leading experts, practitioners, and decision-makers at home and abroad.
The Youth Section also manages the monthly publication Evroatlantski fokus and the Situation Room, an ad-hoc analytical platform dedicated to monitoring current security developments in selected regions of the world. Within this framework, members produce research-based analytical content on international conflicts, security trends, and strategic issues. In addition, they contribute expert articles to the Euro-Atlantic Bulletin and other publications of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia.
The Youth Section operates within the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Slovenia while maintaining its own leadership structure, consisting of a President and an Executive Board. It also includes a Content and Analysis Team, a PR Team, and a Situation Room Team. The Youth Section is a key pillar in the development of youth programs, international cooperation, and substantive projects of the Council, offering young members valuable hands-on experience in event organization, analysis, public speaking, leadership, strategic communication, and security policy.
The current President of the Youth Section is Matic Kosirnik (2025–present).
