Youth Platform Reaches 40 Global South Countries
The Global South Youth Platform, launched in May 2026, now brings together young people from 40 member countries.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Youth
The Global South Youth Platform, established at the initiative of the Baku Initiative Group, has grown to 40 member countries spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. The network has organized two international events since its launch, including one held in Baku during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13).
Why it matters
The platform gives young people from across the Global South a single network to press for their voice in international decision-making. Its focus on decolonization, human rights, and inequality places youth perspectives directly within global policy debates.
The platform reports 40 member countries and two international events since its May 2026 launch. Membership counts and event attendance figures beyond these totals were not disclosed in the source material.
The players
Baku Initiative Group
The Baku Initiative Group is the organization that initiated the establishment of the Global South Youth Platform.
World Urban Forum
The World Urban Forum is a United Nations-sponsored conference on urbanization and housing, whose 13th session hosted a platform event in Baku.
The details
Members include representatives of international organizations, government institutions, academia, media, the legal sector, and civil society. Activity centers on decolonization, human rights, social and economic inequality, and the rights of local communities, with an event titled 'Colonial Injustice and Housing Shortage' held in Baku.
Timeline
May 2026: Global South Youth Platform launched.
May 20, 2026: Event on the youth role in decolonizing urbanization held in Baku.
Culture Shift
The platform extends long-running Global South advocacy on decolonization into a youth-led network operating through forums such as the World Urban Forum. It reflects a push for younger voices in international decision-making rather than only established institutional actors.
Young people in member countries gain a formal network for participating in international events and policy discussions. Those interested in joining can look to the platform's activity areas of decolonization, human rights, and inequality as entry points.
The takeaway
Youth networks are increasingly positioned to shape international policy debates on urbanization and inequality. Readers interested in these issues can follow how younger advocates engage with forums like the World Urban Forum.
Further reading
For more on young people's role in global debates, explore Youth.
