The Grenada National Commission for UNESCO invites youths between the ages of 18 and 35 to apply for the opportunity to participate in the 14th UNESCO Youth Forum, which will be held on 27 and 28 October 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, immediately preceding the 43rd session of the General Conference.
This edition will be an opportunity to mobilise UNESCO’s cross-cutting mandate to further discussions on climate action and social impacts, particularly for young people. It will result in concrete youth recommendations and youth-led actions, that will be presented at the General Conference.
Guidelines for the participants of the 14th UNESCO Youth Forum
In 1999, UNESCO became the first United Nations agency, at the time, to implement a youth engagement mechanism, the Youth Forum, in the context of the General Conference as the organisation’s highest decision-making body. UNESCO being an intergovernmental organisation, its General Conference consists of the representatives of the organisation’s Member States. It meets every 2 years. It determines the policies and the main lines of work of the organisation and adopts its programmes and budget.
For 26 years now, the Youth Forum has been a space where young people can express their views, share their challenges and propose relevant solutions. Through the years, the forum has undergone innovations with a view to deepening its alignment to the needs and challenges of young people. The most recent editions have also aimed at designing concrete solutions to strengthen youth engagement through youth-to-youth cooperation and partnerships between UNESCO and young people and youth-led organisations, highlighting the nongovernmental nature of this space.
The theme of the 14th UNESCO Youth Forum, “Climate action and social impacts, particularly for young people,” is aligned with the young people’s expressed preference and will ensure continuity with the 13th edition for a greater and more lasting impact.
The 13th edition of the Forum in 2023 resulted in tangible outcomes in the form of a call for action and global and regional recommendations, which were shared with Member States during the 42nd session of the General Conference. Five youth-led projects were also selected for implementation after the forum and as part of the Global Youth Grant Scheme: on climate impact on people with disabilities (Nepal), climate education capacity-building in Petra (Jordan), mapping waterrelated risks (Argentina), youth mental health (Slovenia), and STEM for climate action (Malawi). See the Conclusions of the Youth Forum here (42 C/INF.13).
Youth participants from the Forum will be selected to present its recommendations at the General Conference, ensuring their voices are heard by all 194 UNESCO Member States.
The forum participants
- Have expertise in UNESCO’s fields of competence as related to the theme of the Forum
- Have demonstrated experience as active and engaged citizens in their communities, showcasing a commitment to creating positive change
- Should reflect the different ways in which youth engage today as active citizens: from engagement in National Youth Councils to youth-led social enterprises, youth-led research, advocacy and media. As an ultimate goal, youth perspectives should contribute to Sustainable Development Goals
- Are expected to bring new ideas and innovative solutions to the challenges of our time
- Are expected to bring their perspectives to the global debate enabling UNESCO and its Member States to integrate them into policy and programme development
- Are expected to foster a constructive, positive debate and exchange, focusing on substantive discussions and avoiding politisation
- Are expected to be respectful of each other’s differences, embracing the diversity of cultures, experiences, and viewpoints
- Young participants in the forum will be selected to present the recommendations of the Forum to the General Conference, thus having their voices heard by the 194 UNESCO Member States
Selection criteria of the participants
The selection process will be transparent and inclusive and based on the following criteria:
- Recognised expertise in UNESCO’s fields of competence and relevant to the Forum’s theme, and/or demonstrated experience in designing or leading impactful initiatives on the ground within the scope of UNESCO’s work in this area
- Age range: 18-35 years old
- Gender balance
- Regional balance
- Balance in terms of experience/expertise in UNESCO’s fields of competence
- Diversity of profiles, such as students, researchers/scientists/experts, practitioners, i.e. social entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, young staff in the United Nations and development organisations, representatives of youth constituencies, artists, social influencers, athletes
Application
The application form must be filled and sent to [email protected] on or before 15 April 2025. PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.
UNESCO