Young people have always been at the heart of global conservation, and IUCN has long advocated for their voices. Since the founding of the International Youth Federation for Environmental Studies and Conservation in 1956, IUCN has continuously supported youth-led initiatives.
This commitment continues today through the Youth Strategy and the priorities of the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). The IUCN Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) unites young conservation leaders (aged 18-35) from around the world to bring youth perspectives into IUCN’s governance, policies, and conservation initiatives. It plays a key role in advancing the IUCN Youth Strategy (2022-2030), which strengthens youth engagement across the Union and fosters intergenerational collaboration. Since its establishment in April 2024, YAC members have engaged in the following:
- hosted 3 YAC Talks designed to connect youth across various commissions, fostering the exchange of knowledge and experiences on conservation-related topics,
- created the YAC group in the Engage – the virtual IUCN platform,
- launched the YAC landing page on the IUCN website,
- contributed to 6 Regional Conservation Fora and IUCN Leaders Forum by actively engaging YAC members in these events,
- represented YAC at COP16 and COP29,
- partnered with and provided advisory on youth engagement to a number of world leading nature conservation organisations,
- consulted members on youth-related motions,
- initiated the “First YAC Cohort in Review” report to document the learnings, achievements, and progress on the implementation of the IUCN Youth Strategy 2022-2030 (preliminary release in December 2025),
- designed IUCN youth strategy implementation survey.
The YAC is eager to uphold these initiatives by creating opportunities for youth to engage, lead, and influence global environmental action. In this spirit, the YAC invites youth to an upcoming webinar that will provide key insights into the Global Youth Summit and the IUCN World Conservation Congress, two major platforms that contribute to global conservation efforts.
This webinar will outline pathways for youth participation in the Global Youth Summit and the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The agenda includes an overview of both events, insights into youth engagement with highlights from the 2021 Marseille Congress, and the establishment of a multi-use Youth Engagement Zone. This zone will serve as an interactive space where young participants and visitors can take the lead to educate, learn, create, and collaborate on innovative solutions for the future of environmental conservation at the IUCN Congress.
IUCN Congress 2021 in Marseille, France was an incredible experience. I was impressed to learn about the work of colleagues, meet the conservation leaders I look up to and engage with other young professionals from across the globe. It was also a great opportunity to understand the governance of the Union and explore the synergies between the work of IUCN Commissions, the Secretariat and Members. My personal highlights were intergenerational breakfast meetings with world conservation leaders and the physical part of the Global Youth Summit. I’m sure the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi will be as memorable.” - says YAC Chair, Diana Garlytska.
Why attend the webinar?
This is an invaluable opportunity for young conservation leaders and all IUCN Young Professionals to learn, connect, and prepare to actively contribute to these major initiatives. Furthermore, you will have the chance to address any questions you may have about the events.
How to register:
Please register here. Stay tuned for more details on IUCN’s official channels and website. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of this conversation.
To learn more about YAC, visit the IUCN YAC webpage.
