Youth Shaping Policy: AU-EU Youth Voices Lab at the Civil Society and Youth

Last month, youth voices took the virtual stage at the AU-EU Civil Society and Youth Forum, held virtually in preparation for the 3rd AU-EU Ministerial Meeting. The event, organized under the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective, served as a dynamic space for youth and civil society to help shape the future of the Africa-Europe partnership.

More than 90 participants took part in the Forum, including youth and civil society representatives, as well as institutional stakeholders from the African Union, the European Union, and the EU Delegation to the AU. The discussions were centered around four strategic pillars: Peace and Security, Prosperity, People, and Multilateralism.

Representing our Programme and our Youth Advisory Board (YAB), Sarra Hannachi from Tunisia and Michael Nkrumah-Appau from Ghana played an active role in the working groups, contributing directly to the formulation of youth recommendations that were presented the following day at the official AU-EU Ministerial Meeting on 21 May. “We pushed for solutions that are inclusive, locally relevant, and youth-centered,” said Sarra Hannachi, reflecting on the importance of embedding young people’s realities into policy dialogues.

As members of the thematic group on Prosperity: Climate & Energy, Digital and Transport, the YAB representatives addressed critical issues such as digital illiteracy in rural areas and called for community-based education initiatives. They advocated for the co-creation of policy with local actors to ensure that implementation is not only effective but also grounded in the needs of the communities it aims to serve. “Collaborating with local partners is crucial in co-creating impactful climate and energy policies,” noted Michael Nkrumah-Appau. “It’s about cascading down solutions and ensuring youth in rural communities are not left behind.”

This engagement underscored the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab’s role as a trusted platform for meaningful intergenerational dialogue. By placing youth in co-creation roles within policymaking, the Forum reaffirmed the importance of youth perspectives in shaping long-term cooperation between Africa and Europe.

Read the Forum report and joint declaration: https://capacity4dev.europa.eu/discussions/eu-au-civil-society-and-youth-forum_en