UN Youth Office | 2025 Youth Participation in UN intergovernmental Processes Sponsored Youth Engagement - Application Guidance Background information In September 2022, Member States unanimously agreed to the establishment of the United Nations Youth Office (UN Youth Office) as a dedicated office for youth affairs in the United Nations Secretariat. This marks the start of a new era for youth. The UN Youth Office looks to build a solid foundation for the UN system to revitalize and scale up its engagement with and for youth. It is widely recognized that meaningful youth engagement is a critical catalyst in getting us back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The role of the new office is to carry out the legitimacy of young people’s views, contributions, and expertise, and ensure they are integrated across all pillars of the UN’s work in a systematic and meaningful way, upholding the core guiding principles to meaningful youth engagement. The UN Youth Office is committed to support meaningful youth participation in policymaking and decision-making processes, including in-person engagement at UN intergovernmental events. Scope of the engagement • Participate in-person in all sessions of the specific intergovernmental event you applied for (CSW, ECOSOC Youth Forum, ...). • Participate in the preparation of the event, as relevant and required. • Engage in preparatory meetings, online webinars and trainings, ensuring a safe and meaningful participation during your participation. • Share experiences related to meaningful youth participation to relevant audiences in preparation of the specific event. • Share expertise and experiences in relevant topics, including taking speaking roles, if relevant. • Participate actively in relevant online meetings, briefings and relevant fora.
UN Youth Office | 2025 Support to be provided • Roundtrip travel ticket from the country of residence to the venue of the event and back. • Terminal Expenses (transportation to and from the airport, based on fixed UN rates). • Daily allowance subsistence for a maximum of 4 days (TBC depending on the event) based on fixed UN rates at the time of the travel. For more information, please visit here. • Visa fee(s) are reimbursable after trip completion, upon submission of a receipt. • Support reasonable accommodation for young persons with disabilities. • Letter of invitation to support visa related processes. • Accreditation to the UN event. • Mentorship and preparation for the engagement. What is NOT covered or particularly supported • Expenses incurred for travel related to obtaining a visa. • Health insurance. • Any personal deviation related to the travel. • Any other unauthorized expense made by the participant without consulting the organizing team. Please note that selected youth participants must have a bank account in their name, arrange their accommodation in advance, and ensure they have valid health insurance and a visa for the duration of their stay in the event's host country. Additionally, UN administrative processes can be lengthy and may result in delays in payments. As such, youth participants might need to cover the cost of accommodation upfront. If this is not feasible, the UN Youth Office is committed to exploring alternative solutions to support youth participation. Please immediately inform the UN Youth Office at:
[email protected],
[email protected] and copy to:
[email protected] to that effect.
UN Youth Office | 2025 Safe engagement Since the adoption of the first-ever system-wide UN youth strategy, Youth 2030, more young people than ever before are engaging with the UN at all levels. While the vast majority of young people have positive experiences during these engagements at the UN, unfortunately, there are instances of exposure to harmful behaviors. To help you prepare for your participation, we invite you to complete this online training, which will be mandatory for all selected participants: Engaging Safely at the UN | UNSSC | United Nations System Staff College The Engaging Safely at the UN online training was created by the UN Youth Office with inputs from UN partners, civil society, and young people. It aims to ensure an inclusive and safe space for all young people engaging with the UN by addressing misconduct, such as abuse of authority, discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), and sexual exploitation and abuse. Eligibility • Youth applicants should be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of candidacy. • Youth applicants must be engaged in grassroots, local, national, regional or global youth-led initiatives, projects, groups, movements or organizations. • Youth applicants should have good oral and written skills in one of the 6 official languages of the UN (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish). • Youth applicants should be available to actively engage all the days of the event and in preparatory meetings. • Applications from diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented groups and those from conflict-affected areas, are encouraged to apply. Selection Final selection of young persons will be made by the UN Youth Office, with support from its Youth Reference Group and partners, as relevant and appropriate. Selection will consider gender balance, geographical representation and other underrepresented youth. The following criteria will be used for the selection of participants: • Motivation to actively participate in the event and preparation activities in the lead up to the event.
UN Youth Office | 2025 • Experience in engaging/working in youth-led organizations/networks and/or volunteer work in areas related to sustainable development, human rights, and/or peace and security (according to the focus of the specific event). • Experience and expertise in meaningful youth participation, youth leadership, youth- led advocacy towards the UN or other intergovernmental organizations at local, national, regional or international levels. Conditions Selected participants are expected to: • Maintain professionalism guided by the highest ethical and professional standards and act with integrity and respect towards all. • Commit to implementing the UN Code of Conduct at all events. • Ensure compliance with the UN systems Zero Tolerance policy, harassment, sexual exploitation, and abuse. Note: Being selected for participating in a specific event and/or process does not entail being contracted by the UN. There is no guarantee of continuation, while the UN Youth Office will commit to keep the group informed on potential follow-up possibilities. If you have any questions, please reach out to the UN Youth Office: Romeral Ortiz Quintilla, Programme Management Officer,
[email protected], Maryam Pandi, Associate Programme Management Officer,
[email protected] and Dorris Chepkoech, Administrative Officer,
[email protected]. Your voice matters in shaping multilateralism! We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming you to advance meaningful youth participation in policymaking and decision-making processes.
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