Commonwealth Youth Council | Youth Empowerment & Advocacy

The Commonwealth Youth Council

Advancing the youth development agenda by integrating young people into the development work of the Commonwealth at national, regional, and Pan-Commonwealth levels

Youth Representation & Advocacy

Ensuring the voices of the over 1.5 billion young people across the Commonwealth are heard and influencing policies at all levels.

Youth Empowerment & Development

Building the capacity of young people through leadership training, skills development, and providing opportunities for youth to be meaningfully engaged.

Global Collaboration & Impact

Connecting youth leaders and stakeholders to address global challenges and drive collective action towards a prosperous common future.

Established In 2013

The CYC works to mobilize the voices of young people and advocate for governments to engage young people meaningfully.

The official representative voice of the more than 1.5 billion youth

The Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) is the official representative voice of the more than 1.5 billion young people in the Commonwealth. The CYC was first established in 2013 with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Commonwealth Youth Programme.

It was endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their biennial summit in Sri Lanka as an autonomous, youth-led organization

Impact Projects

IMPACT

The Climate Change Programme

The Climate Change Programme of the Commonwealth focuses on strengthening the resilience of Commonwealth countries to the negative impacts of climate change. It advocates for international policies, mechanisms and rules to be more responsive to the development needs of Small Islands Developing States and other vulnerable countries.

IMPACT

Promoting the Commonwealth Blue Charter in Ghana – CYC leads workshop series in Ghana

In February 2020, the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) took a bold step toward addressing climate change and promoting sustainable practices through an impactful project in Ghana. This initiative, led by Miss Abena Dugan, the CYC Vice Chair for Partnership and Resources, aligned with the Commonwealth Blue Charter's call for clean water, sanitation, and environmental conservation.

Countries

Executives

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Committees

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Billion Participants

News & Events

International Day of Education

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council, Joshua Opey, will join youth leaders and stakeholders at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on Friday, January 23

Commonwealth Youth Development Summit 2026

The Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC) is convening the Commonwealth Youth Development Summit from April 9-11, 2026, at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. This landmark event will bring together youth leaders, policymakers, institutions and partners from across the Commonwealth and beyond to shape the future of youth development.

The Commonwealth Youth Council Meets with the Secretariat of the Pan African Youth Union (PYU)

The Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), Joshua Opey, was in Rabat, Morocco, on a working visit to the Secretariat of the Pan African