Y7 Germany 2022

Youth Dialogue for the G7

Strong, young voices in multilateral cooperation

As part of the civil society engagement, Youth7 is the voice of the young generation towards the Group of Seven (G7). Y7 accompanies the multilateral cooperation with its own policy recommendations and proposals for solutions to current global challenges. Germany welcomes youth delegates to Berlin on 16-20, May 2022 under its Presidency of the G7.

Youth & G7: Youth7

Youth7 are an integral part of the civil society engagement of the G7, hosting a youth dialogue and participation process. Y7 convenes youth delegates from across the G7 member states and the European Union as well as partner countries. Together, young people discuss the current agenda of the G7, the Presidency programme and their own priorities. They develop answers and proposals for solutions to global challenges of today and tomorrow and bring their perspective forward to the G7 Leaders.

In addition to the youth dialogue, six other engagement processes with civil society representatives are underway: Business7, Civil7, Labour7, Science7, Think7 and Women7. Youth7 is regular exchanges with these engagement groups and cooperates closely to advocate on behalf of their shared concerns.

Who or what are the G7?

Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States form the Group of Seven (G7) and work together on issues ranging from economy, foreign and security policy, global development to climate policy. Other current fields of cooperation cover the future of democratic societies, global health and alliances for gender equity. The European Union takes part in G7 meetings, holding observer status. In addition, international partner countries are regularly invited to participate.

 

Germany holds the presidency in 2022. What does that mean?

In 2022, Germany holds the Presidency of the G7 and will host the annual summit of the G7 heads of state and government at Schloss Elmau on the Bavarian Alps on 26-28, June 2022. Further, meetings by Ministers and Working Groups take place throughout the year. Germany also coordinates the G7 on current developments and crises. These fora serve the open and informal exchange and provide opportunities to reach joint positions. During the G7 Summit, a comprehensive Communiqué is usually adopted, addressing current and future challenges.

The Presidency of the G7 rotates among the G7 members with Japan taking over on January 1, 2023. The G7 is not an international organisation with permanent structures and institutions. Therefore, the Presidency assumes a particular responsibility, coordination and shaping actively the multilateral cooperation.

Youth7 Summit 2022 - Welcome to Berlin!

The Y7 Summit will be the highlight event of the youth dialogue under the German G7 Presidency and is set to take place in Berlin on 16-20 May, 2022. Starting as of March, the youth delegates will work together on current challenges and develop policy recommendations in four priority areas:

At the Y7 Summit, youth delegates will debate systemic challenges, develop policy recommendations and adopt a joint Communiqué.

Their calls to action are addressed towards the G7 Leaders, who are asked to take the young voices of the Y7 into consideration, when convening for the G7 Summit in June 2022. The Communiqué will be handed over to the German Presidency of the G7.

The youth dialogue is shaped and led by young people themselves. Carolina Claus and Benjamin Günther co-chair the Y7 Summit and are supported by eight volunteer coordinators (so-called Track Sherpas). Each G7 member as well as the European Union as an observer, are invited to send a delegation of four youth delegates.

Y7 online
y7germany.org

The Youth7 (Y7) youth policy dialogue can also be found on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Contact

Y7 Germany 2022 – Project Coordination & Partners

The Y7 Summit and its participation process are coordinated by the following partners:

 

IJAB – International Youth Service of the Federal Republic of Germany has been mandated to coordinate the Y7 process under the German G7 Presidency. We are most honoured to deliver a success on this exciting process for and with the youth delegations.

 

The German National Committee for Youth Work (DNK) is the coordinating body for European and international youth work in Germany, representing the German Federal Youth Association, the German Sports Youth and the Ring of Political Youth. The DNK team provide valuable experience in youth participation processes and will lead the work on policy recommendations throughout the entire process.

Y7 Germany 2022 is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) as part of the German G7 Presidency.

Further, we are delighted about the support of the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA), contributing on all organisational tasks.

Silhouette einer Frau mit Megaphone
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All the latest info on the Y7 Youth Summit can be found here.