Meaningful Youth Engagement

UNESCO’s Youth Programme has developed tools to build a common understanding and institutional culture for the meaningful engagement of young people in youth-relevant policies and programmes.

These tools aim to build capacities of institutions, namely national public and private institutions (governments, civil society organizations, academic institutions, media and private companies), as well as UN entities, including UNESCO staff.

Over the last decade, the Organization has become a pioneer in building capacities on how to collaborate with young people to address issues that affect them.

is an insightful young professional who has excellent communication, time management and problem-solving abilities. Educated at the University of Chittagong, he has also extensive experience as Trainer, Volunteer, Campus Ambassador, Team Leader, Interpreter and Research Assistant at the University. His major working areas include youth advocacy, education, livelihood and gender equality.

holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering from the Federal University of Goiás (UFG). He has over six years’ experience in project management. Currently, he is environmental consultant building deforestation and conversion-free supply chains in Brazil. Milvo previously worked as process analyst for UNEP’s climate change mitigation projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.

holds a Master's degree in Management of Natural Resources. He is currently working as a programme coordinator in a civil society organization. He is also volunteering in a regional youth network as a country focal point where he has been able to contribute to the network's growth and its recognition as a primary youth constituency in Central Africa.    

is a queer non-binary human, who loves to spend time with kids and the LGBTQIA+ community and give them as much support as they could. Ari is now an openly queer teacher in a public middle school in southern China. Ari is also a co-founder of Iris Gender Talk, a local community group dedicated to helping all TGI/ENBY (Trans, Gender-nonconforming, intersex, and non-binary people) in China.

is mentor, coordinator and advocate devoted to youth policies, sustainable development, social entrepreneurship, and community development. He is a Fulbright scholar studying for an M.A in International Policy and Development, and founder of the Agent of SDGs enterprise for youth. Mohamed has been Peace First Regional Manager for MENA where he led youth incubation and accelerator programmes in sustainable development and peacebuilding.

is a medical doctor, researcher and advocate with over seven years’ experience in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and youth-development advocacy. He has worked with local, national and international bodies to implement programmes and projects geared towards SRHR (including HIV&AIDS) and youth development.

is an individual trainer and consultant on employability skills, youth engagement, and peace. He is active in local, national, and regional youth organizations and currently serves as a Program Director at ASEAN Youth Organization.

is an educator and photographer-filmmaker. She has worked with the Government of Delhi in designing innovative socio-emotional learning programs, which reach over 500,000 students in Delhi schools. She currently leads Communication and Development at Alohomora Education Foundation, a Delhi-based nonprofit that enables students from underserved communities to build thriving careers.

is a highly motivated person with over three years of experience in media, communications, policy development and research. Antonette has spent 10 years working with youth groups and youth to execute projects around education, violence prevention and generally helping to build youth capacities to advocate and engage at the highest level of decision making.

is a growing Training and Development expert with an MPhil in Development studies. She has over 5 years of experience in designing and delivering training programmes in higher education institutions, tech start-ups, and governmental and non-governmental organisations for women and youth.

is a young woman who majored in Social Work and minored in Special Needs Education. She is a professional Social Worker who has experience both with the governmental and non-governmental sectors. She served has Assistant Programs Manager for Action Aid International Malawi and is a former Lilongwe Chapter President for the Young Feminists Network in Malawi. 

is an environmentalist and a corporate social responsibility expert working to improve responses to climate change issues through an intersection of corporate governance, technology, and community development projects and climate education. Joy serves communities in Africa with impact in over 11 communities with solar powered electricity at no cost; including continual capacity development of her team. Joy founded Africa Upcycle Community which has equipped 1415 persons with creative waste upcycling skills and has engaged at different global platforms such as UNESCO, GIZ, BBC Newsround, amongst others, and pushes to drive the ESG sustainability movement further through brand engagement.

is youth activist, trainer and researcher with more than eight years’ experience working with youth. She has coordinated more than 30 projects on youth development, participation, and policies. She has been the Executive director of Youth Can, one of the largest youth organizations in North Macedonia, for five years, and holds a Master’s degree in Political Sciences.

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is actively engaged in youth policy, children’s rights development and public advocacy, with a focus on capacity building and participation in socio-political processes. She has led more than 600 training sessions and workshops for various stakeholders, to strengthen meaningful youth and children participation. She is a founder of Peer Education Initiative, to provide young people with skills and knowledge essential for today’s job market.

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is a project manager, UNESCO Youth Trainer, and Erasmus+ expert with a proven track of delivery. She is committed to empowering young people to succeed with over six years of experience managing international and local projects and has trained over 400 individuals across 20+ countries, with 1000+ training hours.

is a Tunisian Graduate in Biotechnology working to improve responses to climate change issues through an intersection of technology and community development projects for youth in MENA through activities such as Workshops/ ToT and Bootcamps. 

is an economics and business journalist advocating for media literacy among young people. She is also a volunteer staff at EDeaf (Education for the Deaf) Thailand, a programme focusing on the development and provision of vocational education for children with hearing difficulties and reducing inequality for them.

is a peacebuilding and NGOs development practitioner, also focusing on youth empowerment. Sarra founded and managed different local and regional programmes that aim to equip youth with tools, skills, and resources for positive community change. She has served as a youth advisory council member at the United States Institute of Peace. Currently, she is Strategic and Communications Officer at Justice Call, and network coordinator at Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict.

is an inclusion advocate and urban anthropologist at Peking University and Cornell University. Dao is the Head of ASEAN Delegation to the G20 Youth Summit and Consultant at UNESCO and UNICEF.

is a young leader with a passion for community development. He has volunteered with Restless Development Zambia and the Terre des Hommes International youth network, and is currently the Student Congress President at Chreso University, pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Accounts.

is a purpose-driven leader who is committed to developing innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges. Her interests lie in the intersection between business, social impact, and global development. She has received national and global recognition for her advocacy work in education equity, youth empowerment, and gender equality.

is a Mechanical Engineer with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for youth advocacy. She founded Mighty Me Motivations, a foundation which focuses on transforming lives through the empowerment of the mind, and also serves as a youth trainer for Student Connect Trust (SCOT), facilitating leadership trainings to young people.