The Youth-Led Systems Change Call to Action invites organizations, agencies, and advocates worldwide to move beyond performative youth engagement and commit to meaningful youth leadership with real decision-making power.

Across systems, youth are often asked to share their voices without the authority, structure, or protection needed to create lasting change. Too often, youth participation is treated as a programmatic add-on rather than a core part of how decisions are made.

This Call to Action names that gap and offers a solution through the Youth-Led Systems Change Model — a replicable framework that helps organizations shift from youth consultation to shared decision-making within existing systems, policies, and leadership pathways.

Youth leadership does not require a youth advisory board or standalone program.
Shared governance can take many forms — including youth-informed policies, structured decision pathways, and power-sharing practices embedded directly into organizational systems.

This initiative is not about creating more youth advisory boards. It is about building stronger systems where youth leadership is real, supported, and sustainable — regardless of whether a formal youth structure exists.

Organizations are invited to reflect on their current practices, engage in global learning, share this movement within their networks, and explore implementation support when ready.

At its core, this Call to Action exists to ensure youth leadership is honored with structure, accountability, and power — not symbolism.

You do not need a youth board to participate.
Youth leadership begins when organizations change how decisions are made — not just who is invited to speak.