Youth participation in the Global Forum on Migration and Development started under the Swedish Chairmanship in 2013 and has steadily grown over the years. Originally coordinated through the UN GA-mandated Major Group for Children and Youth, in 2017 a dedicated Working Group on Migration was established to bring the voice of youth to migration fora at international level. In 2021, the Group re-established itself as the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP), the youth-led constituency for migration issues.
Youth Forums have been organized as preparatory events to the GFMD Summit. These are capacity building opportunities for young people, composed of youth leaders, young migrants, organization and government members, attending the Summit as youth representatives, brought together to discuss migration issues, priorities and solutions. Youth Forums include skills workshops, and preparatory roundtables, and feature expert speakers from UN agencies, prominent stakeholders, and champion countries to support the discussions. To learn more
about Youth Forums in previous years, check out our Impact Reports: 1st edition, 2nd edition, 3rd edition, and 4th edition.
This year, youth will sit at the same table as governments, mayors, business leaders, and civil society stakeholders to discuss common migration policy priorities and actions at the GFMD. As
the official youth stakeholder group of the GFMD, we are thus organizing a 5th Migration Youth Forum as an official youth preparatory space to the 15th GFMD Summit.
The Youth Forum and GFMD Summit will be held during the week of 9 June 2025 in Barranquilla, Colombia. Obligatory online capacity building workshops will be organised throughout May. The Migration Youth Forum is the official preparatory space for youth to consolidate and exchange priorities, recommendations, youth-led solutions and best practices. It will also be a peer-to-peer space to learn about the importance of the GFMD and how to contribute to it effectively, as well as provide a solid network of support during the days of the Summit.
Who will be at the Youth Forum?
Young people, including young migrants and refugees, representatives of civil society organisations led by or working for youth, researchers, entrepreneurs, young decision makers from national and local governments, professionals, volunteers, activists, leaders – all under the age of 31 and strongly committed to working with and for migrants in their communities. We aim for a balanced representation and an inclusive and diverse Forum when it comes to gender, age, socio-economic background, culture, ethnicity and geography.
We are thus looking for exceptional youth leaders to attend the 5th Migration Youth Forum and the XV GFMD Summit. Preference will be given to applicants of migrant, diaspora or refugee status and/or with a proven interest and track-record in engaging with migration and refugees issues.
Submit your application through the official form by 15 APRIL 2025 (23:59 CET).
