About this opportunity
Applications are now open for the UNDP African Youth Co-Creators Council 2026 , an opportunity for young African leaders to help shape the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) youth agenda across the continent. UNDP is seeking 11 exceptional young leaders from Africa’s five regions and the diaspora to serve on a two-year advisory council that will co-create and influence programmes designed to advance youth development, innovation, and inclusive growth across Africa.
Council members will work alongside UNDP teams in Addis Ababa, Dakar, Nairobi, and Pretoria while engaging with Country Offices in 46 African countries to help design, implement, monitor, and evaluate youth-focused initiatives.
Eligibility
Applicants must: Be an African national aged 18–34 years at the time of selection. Live in Africa or be part of the African diaspora (a maximum of two positions are reserved for diaspora applicants).
Demonstrate leadership, innovation, or community engagement experience in areas such as: Systems thinking Communication Governance Political transitions Peacebuilding Climate action Mental health Gender equality Green, blue, or orange economy Poverty reduction Digital innovation Be committed to inclusive development and youth empowerment. Have not previously served on a UN or development partner Youth Advisory Council, Youth Sounding Board, or similar advisory mechanism.
Be available for regular virtual meetings and periodic in-person engagements. Have strong written and spoken English.
Be able to serve in a personal and non-political capacity. Applicants may apply as individuals or members of youth organisations, although selected members will serve in their personal capacity.
UNDP will prioritize gender balance, regional representation, linguistic diversity, persons with disabilities, and young people from rural and underserved communities. What Council Members Will Do The Council’s work is built around three core pillars: Advise: Contribute to the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of UNDP projects and flagship initiatives.
Anticipate: Identify emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges affecting young Africans and recommend innovative policy and programme responses. Amplify: Strengthen leadership skills through capacity-building while driving positive change within their communities.
Why You Should Apply
Selected members will have the opportunity to: Influence UNDP’s Africa Youth Portfolio and regional programmes. Work directly with UNDP teams across Africa.
Strengthen leadership and policy engagement skills. Collaborate with young leaders from across Africa and the diaspora.
Contribute to shaping policies and programmes that impact millions of young Africans.
Selection process
Applications will undergo:
Eligibility
screening by UNDP Country Offices. Shortlisting by the Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA).
Interviews conducted by a panel comprising UNDP staff, Country Offices, and development partners. Final selection based on merit, diversity, and inclusion criteria.
Application steps
Interested applicants should submit their applications through the official UNDP application page: https://www. undp.
org/africa/blog/call-applications-african-youth-co-creators-council
Application timeline
Not specified.
Who can apply
- Eligibility Criteria Applicants must: Be an African national aged 18–34 years at the time of selection
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
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