1st Global Forum on Youth Policies -- Applications Due Aug. 27

The Global Forum on Youth Policies will be convened by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth together with UNDP, UNESCO and the Council of Europe from October 28-30, 2014 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

According to the Global Forum on Youth Policies website:

"In 2014, of 198 countries, 122 countries (62%) have a national youth policy, up from 99 (50%) in the previous year. These numbers show that governments are increasingly aware of the need for legal and policy frameworks that respond adequately to young peoples’ needs, aspirations and demands.

"Despite these advances, however, a number of challenges affect both the efficiency and inclusiveness of youth policies, from fragmented responsibilities and challenged structures to the lack of reliable knowledge and the absence of appropriate resources.

"Against this backdrop, the Global Forum will build a common understanding of the needs for and rationales of systemic and cross-sectoral approaches to youth policy, and develop guiding principles for integrated youth policy development.

" By renewing the commitment to public policies on youth issues, the Forum will be a milestone in defining what it means to take young people and youth policies seriously in the twenty-first century."

Who should apply?

Nongovernmental experts of youth-led organizations and movements working on youth policy;
Youth experts of global and regional intergovernmental organizations working on youth policy;
Research experts from institutes, universities and think tanks with a focus on youth policy;
Development experts from organizations, agencies and institutions in the youth sector;
Programming experts from donors active in supporting policy change in the youth field.

What kind of experience should I have? Applicants who:

have at least two years of experience with youth policy at regional or global level;
are interested in critical and informed debate about the state of youth policy;
can use English with sufficient proficiency for a professional context;
are associated with an organisation or network that works on youth policy issues;
can attend the First Global Forum on Youth Policies for its entire duration;
and are, preferably, between 18 and 35 years old.

Applications are due August 27! Apply here: http://www.youthpolicyforum.org/details/call/