2024 engagements

In 2024, the Youth Assembly organized a series of sessions and consultations to advance youth involvement in the forestry sector. Key engagements included the Pre-COFO 27 Youth Assembly session in July 2024, the Thematic Youth Assembly session at the World Food Forum flagship event in Rome as part of the Youth Task Force on Forestry Initiative, and the Youth Dialogue held during the 8th Mediterranean Forest Week on 4 November.

Key youth priorities that emerged from these engagements included:

• ensuring equitable access to forest education and training programs, empowering young people with the knowledge and skills needed to drive sustainable forestry innovations;
• increasing political participation and representation for youth in global forestry processes, recognizing that meaningful change requires youth perspectives to influence decision-making at all levels;
• creating job opportunities for young professionals through public-private partnerships, with collaboration between governments, the private sector and academic institutions to building a more accessible and dynamic forestry job market;
• establishing advisory boards to ensure youth voices are integrated into global, regional and national forestry and agrifood governance structures; and
• strengthening youth networks, expanding capacity-building opportunities and improving local and international market access, to empower young leaders and foster a new generation of forestry changemakers.

Tentative 2025–2027 engagements

The 2025 Youth Assembly will build on the momentum of past engagements, positioning youth as key leaders in shaping forestry discussions and actions. Strengthening youth networks will remain a priority, with targeted capacity-building opportunities aligned with the priorities identified in 2024. These efforts will equip young leaders with the practical skills and forestry knowledge necessary to engage in high-level policy dialogues and contribute meaningfully to decision-making spaces.

The Youth Assembly will launch a consultative process to prepare for the 28th Session of COFO, ensuring youth voices are integrated from the earliest stages. This process will create a collaborative platform where young people can define priorities, exchange ideas and co-develop innovative solutions to address pressing forestry challenges, focusing on forests’ essential roles in supporting agrifood systems, from carbon storage to sustainable livelihoods. These efforts will also contribute to shaping youth engagement leading up to the World Forestry Congress in 2027, building momentum and continuity across key global forestry dialogues.

Fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among youth networks will remain central to the Youth Assembly’s work, and the yearly process will include the organization of technical workshops. To amplify youth priorities, the Youth Assembly will engage key forestry and agrifood stakeholders, present consultation outcomes, and advocate for greater visibility and influence of youth-driven solutions.