1.

Background
Engagement and empowerment of children and youth in the context of agrifood systems is pivotal to the
socio-economic progress of the global community and toward achieving the targets of the 2030 Agenda.
It further contributes to the work of the United Nations, especially surrounding the dimensions of people,
planet and prosperity, and its nexus of human and environmental resilience and rights.

In early 2021, the Youth Committee of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
(an internal structure of FAO) inspired the launch of the World Food Forum (WFF) as an open and inclusive
space for all youth to engage in food and agriculture topics. The WFF is supported and facilitated by the
FAO in cooperation with the Rome-based Agencies (RBAs).

The WFF Youth Action and Policy Track - the policy arm of the WFF - is a space to nurture and build capacity
for those young people who are interested in engaging and building capacity in policy dialogues, fostering
connections and coordinating with various youth-led and youth-serving organizations, and working on
joint actions. It does not compete, but rather compliments and amplifies existing youth structures,
organizations and constituencies and their respective work at the local, regional and global levels. For this,
and as a core institution for youth-led policy deliberations, The Youth Action and Policy Track hosts a
continuous WFF Youth Assembly, which aims to build the capacity of young people in policy advocacy and
driving action, as well in connection with partners and networks for intergenerational partnerships,
collaboration and exchanges. The WFF Youth Assembly was officially launched during the WFF Flagship
Event in 1-5 October 2021, to provide a dedicated, sustained, self-organized, and institutional space for
the youth community to feed into the work of the WFF, including its governance. In the spirit of with and
for young people, the work undertaken through the Youth Action and Policy Track and the WFF Youth
Assembly also supports the UN Youth Strategy Youth 2030, especially its social dimension.

To ensure youth leadership in the governance of the Youth Assembly, a ‘Youth Policy Board ’ was officially
established in April 2022. The Youth Policy Board, a representative global youth group for actively advising
and organizing the work of the Youth Assembly, helps identifying policy priorities at the global and
regional levels which help guide the work of the various youth constituencies of the WFF, including youth
actions at the national and local levels.

2. Core Values
The WFF Youth Assembly acknowledges and values the diversity and dignity of all persons and aims for
the inclusion of youth in all their heterogeneous diversity, free of any discriminiation or disrespect. The
Assembly also recognizes and abides by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

3. Structure
The WFF Youth Assembly (hereinafter “the Assembly”) is a youth-led structure, creating a formal space
for policy discussions surrounding agrifood systems and engagement with youth entities and structures
including from governments, private sector, civil society or other stakeholders and sources.

The Assembly is composed of youth representatives of FAO members and the WFF National Chapters as
well as youth-led and/or youth-serving public or private institutions and/or youth branches of larger
institutions, as well as individual youth advocates, typically under the age of 35. Institutional members of
the Assembly are values-based non-profit youth entities (e.g. civil society, social movements, networks,

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public or private organizations, coalitions, faith-based institutions, etc.). It is governed by the WFF Youth
Policy Board (YPB).

The aim of the Assembly is to provide a platform for dialogue on regional and thematic areas of interest
in the context of agrifood systems transformation. It provides policy inputs, drafts opinions, and co-
organizes activities of the WFF Youth Action and Policy Track. The Assembly convenes continuously
throughout the year in multiple sessions. Each year represents a full cycle of the Assembly, including
agenda setting, regional sessions, thematic sessions and organizational/governance sessions, usually
organized virtually to allow for ease of participation. The sessions through the year culminate at an in-
person Youth Assembly general meeting during the WFF Flagship event each year. Assemblies throughout
the year are called and governed by the YPB.

Any institutional or individual member of the Assembly can reach out to the YPB to propose an action,
activity, or assembly topic for consideration, and can also support the dissemination of information to
the wider youth networks.

3.1. Admission
Admission to the Assembly occurs through an open registration process hosted online, in which
registrations are processed by the YPB in-line with the criteria set out in these terms of reference. Joining
the Assembly is non-competitive in nature. The YPB co-chairs, with the support of the YPB, maintain a
record of the registrations and membership of the Assembly.

Institutional members are required to appoint a focal point to be in regular contact with the YPB, and
attend the meetings and sessions, as appropriate.

3.2. Type of Sessions

● Governance/coordination sessions - to discuss the programming of the WFF Youth Action track
activities/ flagship roundtable, co-chairs of the YPB (typically virtual)
● Regional sessions - to discuss regional or local policy priorities, initiatives and activities (typically
virtual)
● Thematic sessions - to discuss thematic policy areas or activities (typically virtual)
● WFF Flagship general meeting - culmination of all the sessions of the Assembly throughout the
year (typically hybrid in-person)

Assembly sessions can be organized in a variety of forms, including:

● Policy Advocacy: Collective and meaningful participation of young people in official and formal
avenues of policy design, implementation, monitoring, follow-up policies related to agri-food
systems at international and national levels.
● Youth Action: Provide young people with an inclusive platform that encourages them to lead,
join, showcase and share innovative and effective actions aimed at addressing the needs of
children and youth related to food and agriculture activities.
● Space for Discussion: Provision of platforms and opportunities of dialogue with political
decision-makers, as well as among youth of different rightsholder groups.

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 ● Knowledge and Capacity Building: Facilitation of capacity-building processes and activities for
young people aimed at enhancing understanding, knowledge and skills in relation to the focus
areas of the WFF and its technical and political processes and organs.

3.3. Positions and Recommendations

As part of its work, the YPB may produce drafts of substantive policy positions and/or recommendations.
These drafts must be consulted in the Assembly to find consensus.

The policy positions and recommendations are not considered as policy positions of FAO, of any other
United Nations entities that may be involved in the WFF, nor of the individual institutions participating in
the Assembly, but solely of the Assembly in its composition during the given cycle. Assembly positions and
recommendations may be brought to the attention of FAO and United Nations counterparts, member
governments as well as relevant stakeholders for their consideration.

3.4. Youth Policy Board

The Assembly is overseen and governed by the Youth Policy Board (YPB), which works in close
collaboration with the WFF Secretariat, through the Youth Action and Policy Track. The WFF Secretariat is
responsible for information dissemination, supporting the facilitation of activities, and for providing
guidance when needed. Two co-chairs are nominated by the YPB to facilitate the coordination with the
WFF Secretariat and to manage consensus-building within the group.

The YPB is responsible for deciding and coordinating the Assembly sessions throughout the year, and for
proposing the agenda and topics. In addition, YPB members have the following duties:

● Call for regular and recurring Assembly sessions, in coordination with the WFF Secretariat;
● Coordinate the general Assembly meeting at the WFF Flagship event, in close collaboration with
the WFF Secretariat;
● Lead the Assembly sessions, including setting the themes, topics and questions for the
consultations and discussions;
● Ensure follow-up of Assembly sessions, and draft final outcome documents.

YPB members may take action at the regional level, and work closely with National Chapters, national
delegations and partners. They may also participate, on behalf of the YPB, in relevant meetings,
conferences and events, representing the current positions and recommendations of the Assembly.

YPB members are selected through an open and competitive selection process. The composition of the
YPB must reflect gender parity and regional balance. Each term lasts one year, with the possibility or
option to renew for a second year. The term of any individual YPB member shall not exceed 2 years
maximum.

Current members of the YPB can be found here: YOUTH POLICY BOARD