Why a Youth Sounding Board?
Youth empowerment is a top priority for the European Commission, which is committed to ensuring that young people are involved in shaping and implementing its external action. Launched in 2021, the EU Youth Sounding Board for International Partnerships (INTPA Global YSB) is a commitment established in the Youth Action Plan in EU external action (2022-2027).
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 and the Youth Sounding Board gives us a direct way to hear their ideas and reflect them in our priorities. Together, we can strengthen Europe's partnerships with the world and make them even more impactful.
What is it?
The INTPA Global YSB is a group of young people from all over the world who advise the Commissioner and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) on all matters relevant to EU external action. This allows young people to have an influence on EU external action and international partnerships and thereby contributes to making EU action more participatory, relevant and effective for young people in EU partner countries. YSB members will focus on the implementation of the Youth Action Plan in EU external action in light of DG INTPA’s strategic priorities, including Global Gateway, fragility and migration and mobility.
How does it work?
YSB members are appointed in their personal capacity to serve a 2-year voluntary mandate. They meet online on a regular basis and sometimes in person in Brussels. Throughout their mandate, they engage with decision makers and European Commission staff to share their views on policies and programmes. They also collaborate with local Youth Sounding Boards established by EU Delegations around the world, and build links with other youth initiatives at international, regional and country level, both in the EU and in partner countries. To better fulfil their mandate, YSB members take part in capacity-building activities regularly; peer-learning is also an essential part of the mandate.
How are members selected?
The third cohort has been selected among youth leaders and activists from over the world nominated by EU Delegations in partner countries and National Youth Councils in EU countries.
Current INTPA Global Youth Sounding Board
The third cohort of the INTPA Global Youth Sounding Board is composed of 25 YSB members, aged 20–30, from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the European Union. They started their mandate in April 2026.
See the members of the Youth Sounding Board.
Results Achieved from the Previous INTPA Global YSB Cohorts
Members of previous INTPA Global YSB cohorts came from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the European Union.
The first cohort (2021-2023) was engaged in the process of co-creating the Youth Action Plan in EU external action (2022-2027). They drafted a report, 'Meaningful Inclusion of Youth: A Promising Future' published in autumn 2022, based on their consultation work for the Youth Action Plan. In the report, young people from around the world voice their opinions, share thoughts about the challenges they face and propose solutions.
YSB members also worked on their own long-term projects around four topics: diversity and inclusion, intergenerational dialogue, leadership and community-building and outreach to young people. The outcomes of the projects informed the design of DG INTPA actions and programming on youth.
Members of the second cohort (2023-2025) took the lead, in collaboration with other youth networks and local youth sounding Boards, on elaborating the Youth Recommendations on International Partnerships for the European Commission presented during the Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event in 2024.
They contributed to integrate youth perspectives in programmes (eg. Euroclima), policies (eg. Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness ) and dialogues (eg. Youth Policy Dialogue with Commissioner Jozef Síkela on ‘Youth and Global Gateway – Maximising impact’ or participation in LAC-EU Civil Society Forum in 2025). They also were engaged in the mid-term Evaluation of the Youth Action Plan in EU External Action.