The Youth Assembly
The Youth Assembly is a unique platform that cultivates a global network of young leaders and changemakers through exchange, education, and entrepreneurship. It aims to empower the next generation of leaders with opportunities to connect with like-minded peers, trailblazers, and influencers, develop global competence and critical skills, and transform their vision for a better future through innovative action.
What’s new with #TheYouthAssembly
The Conference
The flagship conference, held for the first time in 2004 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, creates an intergenerational space for dialogue among civil society, academia, the private sector, and the youth to tackle innovative solutions to global issues in the 21st century.
Held twice a year since 2011, the conference consists of multi-stakeholder discussions and activities in various formats that touch upon social, economic, and environmental issues, and equip youth with critical skills necessary in today’s global economy.
By taking part in cross-sector dialogues and skill-building workshops, delegates are poised to connect with key leaders and experts in various fields and propose solutions to some of our world’s greatest challenges.
The Delegates
The Youth Assembly brings together the world’s foremost young leaders and changemakers at the heart of global change twice a year. The Youth Assembly delegates, age 16 to 32, come from over 100 countries and possess strong leadership potential as well as keen interest in global issues.
The Speakers
Since 2004, our most notable speakers have included UN leaders and senior staff, celebrities, and other luminaries from civil society and the private sector. Past speakers include former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former UN Youth Envoy Ahmad Alhendawi, incumbent UN Youth Envoy Jayathma Wickramanayake, Presidents of the UN General Assembly, former UN Youth Champion Monique Coleman, American economist Jeffrey Sachs, Indian-American socio-political activist Arun Gandhi, and youth activists such as Alexandria Villasenor, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, and Amani Al Khatahtbeh.
Organizers and Partners
The Youth Assembly was created by the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation in 2004 in an effort to amplify youth engagement and participation in global development. Rooted in the Friendship Ambassadors Foundation’s expertise in cultural exchange, the Youth Assembly fosters collaboration between youth and key stakeholders to support the implementation of global commitments such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Each session of the Youth Assembly is organized in collaboration with mission and impact-driven companies and organizations to facilitate a holistic approach in developing today’s young leaders. We have worked with prestigious institutions and organizations, such as the United Nations, World Bank Group, UNESCO, ILO, UN Environment, PepsiCo, Microsoft, PwC, the Resolution Project, Thought for Food, Instagram, Virgin Unite, WCS, the Nature Conservancy, the Climate Reality Project, UN SDSN-Youth, Candid (formerly the Foundation Center), BRAC, CARE, Liter of Light, Terracycle, and more.