ECOSOC Youth Forum 2026: Expression of Interest for in-person Participation
Applications are now open for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum 2025 taking place from 14 to 16 April at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
What is the ECOSOC Youth Forum?
The ECOSOC Youth Forum is a platform where young people, high-level Government representatives and other stakeholders of the youth sector contribute to policy discussions through their positions, ideas, solutions, and innovations for the SDGs. It is organically connected with key UN processes and events under the umbrella framework of the UN General Assembly and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The 2026 Youth Forum will be a three-day event from 14-16 April, 2026 at the UN HQ in New York, with special sessions dedicated to FfD, SIDS, and youth and AI. Additionally, the EYF Youth Blast will be held on the 13 April and plans are underway for a youth conference on financing/means of implementation to take place on the 17 April. We invite you to consider these dates when planning your in-person participation!
Benefits
- Speaking Opportunities: Give intervations during sessions and speak truth to power
- Global Exposure: Engage directly with UN officials, diplomats, and policymakers at the highest level.
- Policy Influence: Contribute youth perspectives to global development discussions and official UN outcomes.
- Networking: Connect with young leaders, experts, and institutions from across the world.
- Capacity Building: Strengthen leadership, advocacy, and policy engagement skills.
- UN Experience: Gain firsthand experience inside the UN system and international diplomacy environment.
Objectives:
The 2026 ECOSOC Youth Forum will:
- Provide a platform for young people to engage in dialogue with Member States and UN entities on transformative, and innovative actions to realize sustainable development.
- Create spaces for youth to share knowledge, skills, and experiences that contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
- Highlight youth-led innovations that demonstrate coordinated and inclusive action for sustainable progress.
- Engage young people in contributing to the review of the SDGs under consideration at the 2026 HLPF and in shaping policy recommendations for key intergovernmental processes, inter alia the UN Water Conference 2026, SDG Summit 2027, World Urban Forum 2026, the HABITAT Assembly 2027, Pact for the Future implementation, implementation of FfD-4 outcomes, and the linked avenues at the UNGA, including its High Level Meetings (HLMs).
Are you interested in attending?
There are many opportunities to engage in activities leading up and at the forum, including speaking roles, facilitation roles, taking part in drafting the youth outcome report, etc. These will be shared in the future to the participants registered.
Participants in the ECOSOC Youth Forum will be Member States, including Ministers and other high-level representatives, young people as well as representatives of regional and multilateral organisations.
The Youth Forum will bring together young people from a wide diversity of backgrounds. it will reflect the diversity of youth advocates, formal and informal youth organisations, entities and group working at the grassroots, national, regional and international levels. A particular emphasis will be given to representatives of marginalised and vulnerable youth communities.
To express interest in attending the forum, young people should fill out the form below. Note that currently there is no financial support available from the UN or any of the youth partners for the Youth Forum. Any funded opportunities available in the future will be shared with the participants registered.
Application
Are you interested to participate in the Forum? Please fill out this expression of interest form.