International Youth Day 2026 reminds us that young people may live in different contexts, but their aspirations are often the same. This year, the International Youth Council is especially highlighting the experiences of young people in landlocked developing countries, small island developing states, and least developed countries.

Guo Qi, Executive Director – Communications of the International Youth Council, had the opportunity to connect with young people and understand their experiences and aspirations in China. Despite differences in their backgrounds and circumstances, young people share common hopes for dignity, quality education, human rights, access to technology and resources, and better opportunities for their future.

These shared aspirations remind us that every young person deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, participate and contribute, regardless of where they come from. As an international youth organization, the International Youth Council hopes to provide more resources, platforms and opportunities for young people, particularly those living in less developed and underserved communities.

Our CEO’s Message

On this International Youth Day, observed under the United Nations theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,” the International Youth Council joins the global community in celebrating the world’s 1.2 billion young people. My own journey from a volunteer in Sri Lanka, to founding IYC’s national chapter in 2012, to serving as Vice Chairperson of the Commonwealth Youth Council, and today leading IYC Headquarters in New York – has taught me one enduring truth: young people’s circumstances may differ profoundly, but their aspirations are one. In every community, young people seek dignity, quality education, decent work, and a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

This year, the world rightly turns its attention to youth in the least developed, landlocked, and small island developing nations, young people who face the steepest barriers, yet lead with extraordinary resilience and innovation. As an organisation founded at the United Nations in 2007, holding Special Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC, the IYC reaffirms its commitment to global solidarity and youth-led progress, ensuring that no young person is left behind by reason of geography or circumstance. To every young person: your context does not define your ceiling. The International Youth Council stands with you today and every day.