Event Title:

High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons

Dates:

24 – 25 November 2025

Location:

United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA

Event Overview:

The United Nations General Assembly will convene a High-Level Meeting to appraise the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, bringing together Member States, civil society organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders to assess global progress in the fight against human trafficking.
The meeting will review achievements, challenges, and emerging priorities since the last appraisal, culminating in the adoption of a Political Declaration to strengthen international cooperation and accelerate implementation of the Global Plan of Action.

Our Participation:

As The Youth Café, we are honoured to participate in this critical global forum. Our engagement underscores our commitment to championing youth voices, creative innovation, and social justice in addressing complex global challenges like human trafficking.
We aim to amplify youth perspectives in policy discussions, highlight innovative prevention approaches through youth-led and creative economy initiatives, and advocate for the inclusion of young people in decision-making processes that shape human rights and sustainable development outcomes.

Our Focus Areas:

• Advancing youth-centered strategies for preventing human trafficking.

• Promoting economic empowerment and safe livelihood pathways through the creative and digital economies.

• Strengthening policy dialogue between youth networks, governments, and global institutions.

• Building partnerships for data-driven and community-based solutions to exploitation and vulnerability.

Next Steps:

• Confirm accreditation and participation in the High-Level Meeting.

• Prepare youth-driven policy briefs and messages on anti-trafficking efforts.

• Engage in plenary sessions, side events, and bilateral discussions.

• Share insights and recommendations with our partners and audiences post-event.

Why This Matters:

Human trafficking remains one of the gravest violations of human dignity. By participating in this High-Level Meeting, The Youth Café continues to affirm its belief that empowering young people — through education, innovation, and opportunity — is central to building a world free from exploitation.

Learn more about the event:

🔗 United Nations – High-Level Meeting on the Appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons

WHAT:

The AU and the EU will convene the 7th AU–EU bringing together Heads of State and Government and Member States for the two unions to reaffirm to reaffirm their shared commitment to multilateralism, solidarity, and joint action to address common challenges.

WHEN

24th – 25th November 2025

WHERE

Luanda, Angola

The Summit will be co-chaired by: H.E. João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and Chairperson of the African Union, and H.E. António Costa, President of the European Council. H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and H.E. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will also be in attendance.

Pre-Summit Events and Engagements

WHAT: AU–EU Youth and Civil Society Forum

This Forum will bring together young leaders, innovators, and civil society organisations from Africa and Europe to exchange perspectives and develop policy recommendations on youth employment, innovation, governance, climate resilience, and social inclusion. The outcomes will inform leaders’ discussions at the Summit.

WHEN: 20–21 November 2025

WHAT: AU–EU Business Forum

Co-organised by African and European private-sector partners, the Forum will convene entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to explore partnerships in infrastructure, sustainable energy, agribusiness, manufacturing, the digital economy, and the creative industries.

WHEN: 24–25 November 2025

Background

The AU–EU Partnership, formally established at the first Africa–EU Summit in Cairo in 2000, continues to serve as a vital platform for political dialogue, economic collaboration, and cultural exchange between the two continents. Over the past quarter century, this strategic relationship has delivered tangible results in areas such as infrastructure development, peace operations, education and skills, health, innovation, and climate resilience. To mark this milestone, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Delegation of the European Union to the African Union have launched a year-long commemoration under the banner #AUEU25, celebrating 25 years of joint achievements and people-to-people cooperation through a series of campaigns, exhibitions, and dialogues across both continents.

Key Pillars of the AU-EU Partnership:

1. Prosperity: a prosperous and sustainable Africa and Europe The AU and EU are committed to fostering regional economic integration and sustainable growth, bringing together people, regions, and organisations. The AU and EU work together on sustainable trade and investment that create growth and jobs, as well as, on accelerating the green and digital transitions strengthening health systems and improving education and skills.

2. Peace, Security and Governance: Partnering for Stability The AU and EU remain steadfast in their joint commitment to peace, security, and good governance, recognizing that stability, the rule of law, and strong democratic institutions are essential foundations for sustainable development. Both Unions collaborate closely to advance peace and stability across the continent through civilian and military training missions, and by strengthening the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) as a cornerstone for conflict prevention, management, and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa.

3. People: Investing in Human Development Human development remains at the core of the AU-EU partnership. Joint initiatives on migration and mobility, education, culture, exchange opportunities, social inclusion and humanitarian affairs, empower people, especially women and youth, to build prosperous and inclusive societies. The AU and EU are committed to the rule of law, good governance, democratic principles, respect for human rights, gender equality, and justice.

4. Planet: A Global Force for Multilateralism and Sustainability Representing more than 40% of the UN’s membership, the AU and EU are a formidable force for strong support for the multilateral system, with the UN Charter at its core, and for environmental sustainability. Both are working to increase the legitimacy and effectiveness of the multilateral system: cooperation within the G20, chaired by South Africa, and the Pact for the Future are two examples. Together, they are driving global action to promote shared fundamental values and to address climate change and protect the planet.

Date: November 10 - November 19
Location: United Nations Office at Nairobi

The Youth Café is honored to announce its participation in the upcoming United Nations Forum on Financing for Sustainable Transformative Change (UNFCITC), organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) under its Financing for Sustainable Development Office.

This high-level forum serves as a platform for governments, international organizations, civil society, and private sector stakeholders to discuss innovative and inclusive financing strategies that accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As an organization committed to empowering young people and advancing sustainable solutions across Africa, The Youth Café looks forward to contributing to discussions on how youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship can drive transformative financing models for inclusive development.

Through our participation, we aim to:

• Advocate for the inclusion of youth perspectives in global financing dialogues.

• Highlight community-driven models that bridge economic, social, and environmental priorities.

• Explore partnerships and financing opportunities that strengthen youth engagement in the global development agenda.

Stay tuned as we share insights, key outcomes, and reflections from the forum on how youth can play a leading role in financing a sustainable future.

Event Title:

Third Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)
on the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation

Date:

10 – 21 November 2025

Location:

United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Kenya

Event Overview:

The Third Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), brings together governments, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders to advance discussions on establishing a new global framework for international tax cooperation. The session aims to foster fair, transparent, and inclusive tax systems that support sustainable development and reduce inequalities worldwide.

Our Participation:

As The Youth Café, we are proud to take part in this historic session. Our participation reinforces our mission to amplify youth voices in global decision-making processes and ensure that young people are meaningfully represented in economic governance and development dialogues. We will contribute perspectives on youth-inclusive tax justice, domestic resource mobilisation, and equitable development — all vital for shaping a fairer global financial future.

Our Focus Areas:

• Promoting youth engagement in global economic policy processes

• Highlighting the role of fair taxation in financing youth development and innovation

• Strengthening collaboration between youth networks, governments, and international bodies

Next Steps:

• Finalise registration and accreditation for the session

• Prepare policy insights and youth-driven recommendations

• Engage in plenary discussions and side events

• Share key takeaways and impact stories with our network

Join the Conversation:

We invite partners, stakeholders, and young advocates to follow our updates, engage with our reflections, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on fair and sustainable global tax systems.

Learn more about the event:

🔗 United Nations – Third Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee

Date: November 8–9, 2025
Location: Dakar, Senegal

The Youth Café will participate in the Global Financing Facility (GFF) x CIVIC Platform Civil Society Coordinating Group (CSCG) Introductory Workshop, scheduled to take place from November 8 to 9, 2025.

The workshop marks the official introduction of the two consortia selected through the GFF x CIVIC Platform competitive process that attracted close to 300 applications from civil society and youth-led organizations globally. Following rigorous evaluations by GFF and CIVIC experts, two winning consortia were chosen to lead work under two key pillars of engagement.

The session will outline the objectives, coordination mechanisms, and implementation roadmaps for both pillars:

• Pillar 1: Strengthening Civil Society Engagement and Community Voice in Domestic Resource Mobilization.
  This pillar aims to empower civil society and youth organizations to monitor and advocate for greater and more transparent domestic investments in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH+N).

• Pillar 2: Scaling Community-Led Solutions for Adolescent Health and Nutrition.
  This pillar focuses on supporting civil society innovations to improve access, equity, and outcomes in adolescent health and nutrition services through community-driven and system-integrated solutions.

The Youth Café is part of the ALIGN Consortium (Advancing Local Innovations for Adolescent Health & Nutrition through Governance and Networks) under Pillar 2, alongside Action Against Hunger (ACF) and the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN).

Within the consortium:

• Action Against Hunger (ACF) serves as the legal prime, fiduciary manager, and technical lead.

• The Youth Café (TYC) leads on youth mobilization and co-creation, ensuring youth voices remain central throughout program design and implementation.

• Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN) serves as the knowledge management and evidence lead, facilitating documentation and dissemination of learnings through global platforms.

The upcoming workshop will bring together consortium members, civil society representatives, and youth-led organizations to align on objectives, coordination mechanisms, and early milestones for implementation. It will also include discussions with CSCG members on subgranting criteria, inclusivity, competitiveness, and sustainability strategies.

The Youth Café looks forward to contributing to this important convening as part of its continued commitment to advancing youth leadership, evidence-based advocacy, and sustainable solutions in adolescent health and nutrition.

Event Title: Second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2)
Dates: 4 – 6 November 2025 UN DESA Social+2United Nations+2
Location: Doha, Qatar UNECA+1

Overview:
This summit marks a major global gathering of Heads of State and Government, civil society, youth, academic institutions and the private sector to renew and accelerate the global commitment to social development, inclusion, decent work, poverty eradication and the implementation of the World Summit for Social Development commitments adopted in 1995. UN DESA Social+1

Our Participation (as The Youth Café):
We are proud to participate as a youth-centred organization in this major event. Our involvement reflects our mission to ensure young people’s voices, innovation and creative economy perspectives are included in global dialogues on social development. We will be bringing forward insights on youth employment, inclusive innovation, creative enterprise pathways and social equity — all key to unlocking human potential in emerging economies and ensuring no one is left behind.

Focus Areas:

• Youth-led innovation and creative economy as pathways to decent work and social inclusion

• Strengthening youth agency in social policy, economic development and community transformation

• Linking research (via our research branch) to policy and practice: gathering data, stories, case-studies of youth-driven change

• Partnership-building: connecting youth networks, governments, UN-agencies, civil society and the private sector

Next Steps:

• Confirm our team’s accreditation and registration for the Summit

• Develop and disseminate a youth-driven policy brief and talking points aligned to Summit themes

• Prepare for parallel & side events, networking, and post-event follow-up

• Publish our reflections, learnings and actionable recommendations for our youth-network and partners

Why It Matters:
In a world of widening inequalities, rapid technological shifts and demographic changes, the Summit offers a critical moment to reaffirm that social progress must leave no one behind. For The Youth Café, this is a chance to shape how youth, creativity and innovation are anchored in global social development strategies.

Learn more about the event:
🔗 Second World Summit for Social Development – UN DESA