The African Youth Co-Creators Council is a new advisory body established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Eleven young leaders drawn from Africa’s five regions and the diaspora advise and co-create UNDP’s work with and for young people.
Members work alongside UNDP teams based in Addis Ababa, Dakar, Nairobi and Pretoria and connect with Country Offices across 46 countries. The council runs for two years and is designed to keep youth perspectives at the centre of development policy and programming.
Benefits & funding
- Two-year seat on a continental UNDP advisory council, shaping youth-focused policy and programmes.
- UNDP reasonably covers travel, accommodation, meals and digital-communication costs for official council activities.
- Direct engagement with UNDP Country Offices, UN youth networks, the African Union Commission and regional economic communities.
- Note: the role is voluntary and unpaid — no salary, grant or stipend is provided.
Eligibility
- African national aged 18 to 34 at the time of selection.
- Living on the continent or in the African diaspora (up to two seats reserved for diaspora candidates).
- Demonstrated leadership, community engagement or innovation in areas such as governance, peacebuilding, climate action, mental health, gender equality, the green/blue/orange economy, poverty reduction or digital innovation.
- Strong written and spoken English; able to serve in a personal, apolitical capacity.
- Available for regular virtual meetings and periodic in-person engagements (at least 75% of council activities).
- No prior service on a UN or international development-partner youth advisory council or sounding board.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Eligible nationalities
Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Republic of the Congo
+ 42 more
DR Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Age requirement
18–34 yrs
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Application process
- 1Prepare evidence of your leadership, community engagement or innovation experience.
- 2Complete the official online application form linked from the UNDP call page.
- 3Submit before the deadline; shortlisted candidates are contacted by UNDP.
Program timeline
Application deadline
31 July 2026
After selection
Two-year council term begins