The Nordic Youth Summit is expanding to the Baltics

The upcoming Nordic Baltic Youth Summit, scheduled for 27–28 September in Vilnius, is hosted by The Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania, in partnership with Lithuanian Youth Council (LiJOT) and The National Council of Swedish Children and Youth Organisations (LSU). This event makes the Nordic Youth Summit a Baltic-Nordic affair.

The summit is financially supported by the Nordic Committee for Children and Young People (NORDBUK) and the Nordic Council of Ministers, but its essence lies in its youth-led nature, aspiring to transform into a long-lasting tradition aimed at making the Nordic-Baltic region the best place for children and young people.

Voices of children and youth

– The core principle guiding the Nordic Baltic Youth Summit is to foster an environment where the voices of children and youth are not only heard, but actively shape a more inclusive and participatory society. We’re thrilled to host this event in Lithuania, recently ranked as the happiest country in the world for youth according to the World Happiness Report, says Helén Nilsson, the director of the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania.

Aiming to continue in Finland

The yearly Nordic Youth Summit was a political initiative from The Nordic Committee on Children and Young People (NORDBUK). To expand the Nordic Youth Summit to a Nordic-Baltic Youth Summit is a political initiative from The Nordic Children and Youth Committee (NORDBUK) with the desire to strengthen the Nordic-Baltic relations, especially amongst youth.

The Nordic Welfare Centre arranged the first Nordic Youth Summit in Oslo in 2022, aiming to promote youth engagement and empowerment. By passing on the torch, it enables ongoing efforts to provide platforms for youth to voice their concerns and contribute to policy shaping in the Nordic-Baltic region.

The summit in Vilnius will bring together youth councils from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Åland, and Greenland. Stemming from successful past Nordic Youth Summits in Reykjavik and Oslo, this expansion includes the Baltic countries, reflecting shared challenges and strengths.

Serving as a continuation of previous youth-led conferences, this summit aims to become a recurring meeting, with plans for the next summit in Finland in 2025. This commitment underscores the importance of providing a sustained platform for youth to exchange ideas and shape policies impacting their future.

Youth-driven agenda

The programme of the summit will be youth-driven, with Nordic Baltic Youth Councils deciding on the topics and themes through a survey conducted by LiJOT.

In the lead-up to the Vilnius summit, the organising process is centered on empowering young people to shape the agenda. Through consultation and collaboration, youth participants are actively involved in selecting the topics and themes to be discussed.

This inclusive approach ensures that the summit addresses the issues most relevant to young people across the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Democracy, well-being, and involvement

The summit serves as a platform for youth to share their perspectives, experiences, and aspirations, aiming to generate actionable recommendations for regional policymakers. Topics include democracy, youth well-being, mental health, peace/security, climate action, and youth involvement.

Workshop partners like Nordregio, NIKK, Nordic Welfare Centre, and MUFC will offer insights into issues such as fast fashion, gender equality, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

Workshop about youth involvement

Furthermore, the summit will feature the participation of the Nordic Welfare Centre with youth experts, hosting a workshop to present our publication Child and youth participation during crisis – Recommendations for decision makers in the Nordic region.

This workshop will provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of involving young people in decision-making processes and to share insights and best practices with summit attendees. The paricipants will test and improve their own skills in arguing for more youth involvement.

Furthermore, the summit aims to fulfil the highest sustainable event standards, aligning with the newest recommendations from the Nordic Green Roadmap.