The 5th UNCTAD Youth Forum will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 20 to 23 October 2025 as part of the 16th quadrennial conference of UNCTAD.
The theme of the Conference is "Shaping the future: Driving economic transformation for equitable, inclusive and sustainable development".
A series of events for youth will take place in Room 200 of the H Building at the Palais des Nations, with an additional event jointly organized with WIPO scheduled for the afternoon of 21 October. A Dialogue with Youth will be held on 22 October in Room IX, culminating in the Final Session of the Youth Forum in the Assembly Hall on 23 October. Youth may also participate in Roundtables and Parallel events.
For further information, download the full programme
The Youth Forum is open to students or young professionals aged 18 to 30, who are interested in trade and development issues, and want to debate with other youth from around the world.
Objectives of the Forum
- Facilitate the exchange of experiences among the youth and strengthen a network of future leaders from around the world.
- Foster an interactive dialogue between the youth and global players working towards the achievement of sustainable development, offering the youth a platform to express their views on issues of concern and areas where they wish to see greater action.
- Raise greater awareness on youth-led projects and how to enhance youth involvement in sustainable development programmes.
Participation and Registration
Youth wishing to participate must go through an application process. Only those who have been formally selected and invited to participate in UNCTAD 16 and the Youth Forum are requested to register online for the Conference.
Final confirmation of participation will be subject to approval by the UNCTAD secretariat.
Participation criteria
UNCTAD will pre-select forum participants who should meet the following criteria:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 30.
- Be able to speak and understand English.
- Have experience (from studies or work) in the areas of UNCTAD’s work/focus. Evidence of projects related to trade and development (academic and professional) will be considered as experience in the field.
- Have applied to participate with a supporting video
- Have met the above criteria and have been selected for participation, having received a registration link to the Youth Forum.
Funding
Participants are expected to identify their own sources of funding for participation.
For more information, see: How to apply for the 5th UNCTAD Youth Forum
Enquiries should be sent to: unctadyouth@unctad.org
