The European Commission has renewed its EU Global Youth Sounding Board, appointing a new group of 25 young advisers from April 2026 to April 2028.
The new cohort will bring together 25 people aged 18 to 30, with one member from each of 25 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe, the Commission said in a release on Friday.
It noted the group includes strong representation of women and people from a range of backgrounds, including those from fragile contexts.
First launched in 2021, the Youth Sounding Board is designed to give the Commission structured advice from young people around the world.
Members provide recommendations intended to help shape the design, implementation and monitoring of EU policies and programmes linked to the EU’s external action — its work with countries outside the bloc.
Advice on Global Gateway, migration and climate
The board advises on areas including Global Gateway — the EU’s programme for investment in international infrastructure and development — as well as migration and mobility, and global challenges such as climate and digitalisation, according to the Commission.
It also connects with local Youth Sounding Boards set up by EU delegations in more than 50 partner countries, allowing local views to feed into EU decision-making.
“Our investments in global development are meant to build a better future for today’s youth. They must have a real voice in shaping our efforts,” said Jozef Síkela, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships.
The board is part of the Youth Action Plan in EU external action, which the Commission said is intended to strengthen partnerships between the EU and young people worldwide and support progress towards the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda.
