IGF 2026 Youth Track: Governance of AI
To further advance the IGF Youth Strategy and strengthen youth engagement across IGF processes, the IGF Secretariat, in collaboration with Youth IGF coordinators, is designing and implementing the IGF Youth Track as a year-round capacity development initiative integrated into the broader IGF process, including the annual IGF meeting.
The 2026 track builds on the achievements and outputs of the IGF Youth Tracks delivered in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, as well as on consultations held with Youth IGF coordinators in 2026. Close cooperation with several international youth-centric organizations is sought.
Learn more about the track's structure further below and subscribe to the dedicated mailing list.
Focus on Multistakeholder Approach to Governing Digital Tech
Building on young people’s demand, the outcomes of the IGF 2025 Youth Track, and the Messages from Youth, IGF 2026 will deliver a set of activities that connect youth from around the world with each other and with senior Internet governance stakeholders.
Building on earlier Youth Track work on digital transformation, online safety, and AI governance, the 2026 IGF Youth Track will focus on key issues related to multistakeholder approaches to AI governance that matter to young people. Youth engagement activities will aim to:
Develop capacity on the overall concept of multistakeholder digital governance, focusing on opportunities and challenges digital tech brings to policy shapers and makers.
Strengthen global networking and collaboration among young people from diverse regions, enabling peer learning, exchange of perspectives, and sustained engagement across the IGF community.
Support cooperation among youth-focused initiatives involved or interested in digital governance across the world.
Road to IGF 2026
– activities to engage in –
The track will be composed of several capacity development workshops delivered by experts on various aspects under the overarching theme: Governance of AI.
The workshops will be delivered in a hybrid format at several regional IGF meetings, as per the schedule below which is being updated as workshop details are confirmed. Workshops will be linked to the mini-repository of useful materials and sources of knowledge. All participants are strongly encouraged to consult this resource before and after the workshop takes place.
If interested in connecting with the Youth IGF coordinators, please visit the list of youth IGF coordinators and approach the IGF Secretariat to connect you.
Workshop I – EuroDIG & European Youth IGF
Sub-theme:
Location: Brussels, Belgium & Online
Workshop II – African Youth IGF
Sub-theme: TBC
Location: Accra, Ghana & Online
Workshop III – Youth APrIGF
Sub-theme: TBC
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal & Online
Workshop IV – Youth LACIGF
Sub-theme: TBC
Location: Fortaleza, Brazil
IGF 2025 Global Youth Summit
Sub-theme: TBC
Location: Nairobi, Kenya & Online
Reports
The outcomes of the workshops feed into the subsequent workshops and the IGF 2026 Global Youth Summit. The Messages from Youth will emerge from the Track.
From Deepfakes to “Nudification”
Evolving Threats of Generative AI to Information Integrity & Human RightsStart engaging now!
Subscribe here to the mailing list through which all relevant information is communicated ([email protected]). Also, contact us at igf [at] un [dot] org.
