30 May – 1 June, 2024

Los Angeles, USA

The International Youth Conference
9th Edition

International Youth Conference 9 (IYC9) is scheduled to unfold in Los Angeles, California, and online from May 30th to June 1, 2024. This edition, spearheaded by Generation Next, is backed by the collaboration with reputed organizations including UN-Habitat, AFS Intercultural Programs, the Civil Society Unit of the UN Department of Global Communications, IOM UN Migration, and more.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE (IYC)

The International Youth Conference (IYC) represents a significant collaboration between the Civil Society Unit of the Department of Global Communications (DGC), Generation Next Network, a youth-led NGO based in NYC, UN-Habitat, and the UN International Organization for Migration (UN IOM). With its non-profit 501(c) status, the IYC has firmly positioned itself as an influential platform in the global arena.

Emerging from the 68th UN Civil Society Conference (UNCSC) in 2019, which witnessed a robust youth representation (approximately one-third of the 5,000 participants), the IYC was conceived with specific aims directed towards the youth. The foundational objectives of IYC encompass:

  1. Bridge the Gap: Function as a liaison between the youth and the United Nations, ensuring that young voices resonate and leave an imprint within the UN corridors.
  2. Promote Inclusive Engagement: Champion genuine and inclusive youth participation at the UN, ensuring a diverse representation from varying backgrounds and regions.
  3. Decision-making Inclusion: Stress the importance of youth participation in decision-making processes, emphasizing the belief that the youth of today are the torchbearers of tomorrow.
  4. Outreach to Youth: Extend a global outreach to the youth, ensuring they are well-informed, actively involved, and encouraged to contribute to global challenges.

 

OBJECTIVES OF #IYC9

IYC9 is positioned strategically alongside the Summit of the Future 2024, serving as a crucial platform for youth around the globe to engage, deliberate, and contribute towards multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow. It extends the dialogue initiated at the SDG Summit 2023, focusing on fostering innovation, unity, and youth empowerment to address global challenges and drive sustainable development.
 
Objectives:
    • Empower Youth: Equip young minds with resources and skills through capacity-building workshops, enabling them to be proactive contributors to global solutions.
    • Inclusive Dialogue: Encourage participation from marginalized and underrepresented youth, ensuring diverse voices, concerns, and insights shape the conversations and outcomes.
    • Innovative Solutions: Facilitate the development of groundbreaking ideas and strategies to further global cooperation and sustainable development goals.
    • Global Collaboration: Cultivate partnerships between young individuals, governmental bodies, NGOs, and private sectors to synergize efforts towards shared principles and goals.
    • Strengthening Alliance for the Future: Strengthening the Alliance for the Future (AFF) to empower global youth in contributing to the United Nations mechanism and framework. 

Outcomes

  • Youth Declaration: A synthesis of discussions, insights, and recommendations, presented to the United Nations and other stakeholders.
  • Progress Report: A comprehensive document detailing advancements and challenges in achieving sustainable development goals.
  • Innovative Strategies: A compilation of youth-developed strategies and solutions for sustainable development.

The International Youth Conference (IYC) Achievement

IYC 1

      May 30 – 31, 2020 

Theme: Regeneration: Youth Leadership In Rebuilding A Post COVID19 Sustainable world with SDGs

Online Viewership: 13,078 (Facebook only)

Registered Participants: 1,609

Geographical Reach: 77 countries across 503 cities

 

 

IYC 2

September 26 – 27, 2020

Theme: Youth Lead Build Back Sustainable

Viewership: 18,251

Registered Participants: 2,700

Geographical Reach: 119 countries across 664 cities

IYC 3

January 30 – 31, 2021

Theme: New Normal, New Beginning

Viewership: 19,943

Registered Participants: 3,573

Geographical Reach: 160 countries across 1,252 cities

IYC 4

June 25 – 27, 2021

Theme: Synergize, Act, Impact: Youth Together for a Sustainable Future

Viewership: 54,810

Registered Participants: 4,394

Geographical Reach: 172 countries across 1,274 cities

Special Note: Both online and in-person events took place in Lake George, NY.


IYC 5

IYC 6

IYC 7

IYC 8

March 25 – 27, 2022

Theme: For Planet and People

Viewership: 394,608

Registered Participants: 12,631

Engagement: 1.2M interactions

Geographical Reach: 172 countries

Sessions: 49 sessions with 120 speakers

Special Note: A 36-hour global conference held live from Cambridge, MA, and broadcasted online across 7 cities.

September 22 – 25, 2022 & September 30 – October 1, 2022

Theme: Serve, Lead, Innovate: Youth for A Sustainable Future

Viewership: 391,419

Registered Participants: 14,467

Engagement: 1.3M interactions

Sessions: 52 sessions with 90 speakers

Special Note: In-person events were held in New York City, Cambridge, MA, and broadcasted online across various platforms.

April 27 – 30, 2023

Theme: Inclusion and Development through Innovation

Viewership: 654,268

Registered Participants: 8,400

Engagement: 1.9M interactions

Sessions: 30 sessions with 84 speakers

Special Note: Events were held live from Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

September 21 – 24, 2023

Theme: Empowering Youth to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: From Discussions to Innovation, Inclusion, and Action.

Viewership: 581,668

Registered Participants: 17,456

Sessions: 43 sessions with 246 speakers

Geographical Reach: 174 countries

Special Note: 401 attendees participated in-person in New York City.