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European Youth Summit 2026
The European Youth Summit 2026, organised by CDA in Geneva, brought together 207+ delegates from 120+ countries. Over four days, participants explored diplomacy, global governance, peacebuilding, and negotiation through expert sessions, leadership statements, institutional visits, and the EYS 2026 Summit Declaration.
- VENUE
Geneva, Switzerland
- DATES
5–8 June 2026
- DELEGATES
207+ delegates from 120+ countries
- VENUE
Geneva, Switzerland
- DATES
5–8 June 2026
- DELEGATES
207+ delegates from 120+ countries
Day-by-Day Report
Inside the four days of European Youth Summit 2026.
Each program day moved delegates from arrival and orientation into institutional learning, policy practice, cultural exchange, and graduation.
- 5 June 2026
Youth Diplomacy & Global Leadership
The Summit opened at the Mövenpick Hotel Geneva with delegate check-in and registration, which ran from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The official Summit launch followed at 5:00 PM with opening remarks delivered by the CDA Founder, who welcomed delegates to Geneva and set out the vision behind the European Youth Summit.
The opening evening featured a fireside chat and Q&A on youth engagement at the United Nations in Geneva with Ms. Özge Aydoğan, Director of Beyond Lab in the Office of the Director-General at UNOG, who shared how young people could meaningfully participate in the UN system. The day concluded with a gala opening dinner from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, where delegates, speakers, and the CDA organising team connected ahead of the full programme.
- 6 June 2026
Diplomacy, Cooperation & Global Governance
The first full programme day focused on diplomacy and global governance. After a morning briefing and ice-breaker session, delegates joined a two-hour High-Level Diplomatic Session with Ambassador Miroslav Papa, Permanent Observer of the Council of Europe to the UN Office in Geneva, who offered an insider’s perspective on multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation.
In the afternoon, delegates took part in an interactive workshop, “The Rise of the Third Culture Leader,” led by Ms. Haley McClain Hill, which explored cross-cultural leadership in an interconnected world. The day’s signature moment came with the Global Youth Leadership Statements, during which delegates took the floor to deliver three-minute statements on diplomacy, international engagement, and global action — giving every voice in the room a platform. The day closed with structured networking and delegate free time.
- 7 June 2026
Leadership, Peacebuilding & Policy Innovation
Day three centred on leadership and peacebuilding. Following the “Rise & Connect” morning energiser, delegates attended “From Conflict to Recovery: Humanitarian Demining, Peacebuilding, and International Geneva” with Mr. Tim van Doorne of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), which examined how humanitarian demining supports post-conflict recovery worldwide.
Delegates strengthened their negotiation and leadership skills in a workshop led by Ms. Marzia Marastoni of the Negotiation Council Geneva, followed by a sustainable peace session with Mr. Elio Azar and Ms. Marianne Antunes.
The Summit concluded with closing remarks and the adoption of the EYS 2026 Summit Declaration, reflecting shared commitments to diplomacy, peace, and international cooperation.
- 8 June 2026
Multilateralism, Global Trade & Engagement
On the final day, the Summit moved from the conference room into the institutions of international Geneva. Following hotel checkout, delegates travelled in two batches of 50 to the World Trade Organization for a study visit at the Centre William Rappard, with 100 selected delegates granted access between 10:00 and 11:30 AM.
Together with the visit to the Palais des Nations, the WTO study visit gave delegates a rare, front-row view of how multilateral diplomacy and global trade operate in practice — a defining feature of the CDA’s Geneva-based programmes.
Impact & Achievements
What European Youth Summit 2026 achieved.
The forum combined access, policy learning, peer exchange, and project development into a measurable international youth leadership experience.
Summit Outcomes
Outcomes and Impact
The European Youth Summit 2026 delivered an immersive four-day experience of diplomacy in Geneva, connecting delegates with diplomats, UN officials, and peacebuilding practitioners. Through workshops, leadership sessions, and institutional visits to the World Trade Organization and Palais des Nations, participants gained practical insight into global diplomacy and cooperation.
The Summit concluded with the adoption of the EYS 2026 Summit Declaration, reflecting the cohort’s shared commitments. It also strengthened a global alumni network spanning 120+ countries, connecting young leaders for continued collaboration and future impact.
Delegate Voices
Delegate Voices on LinkedIn
Sindhuza Singh
Product Manager | Fintech and Capital markets | (CAPM)® | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Md Jamil Hossain
Founder, PrimePressPro | AI Visibility, AEO and Digital PR | Helping Businesses Build Trust Across Google and AI Search | International Business Student | Global Youth Catalyst
Marzia Marastoni
Director, Negotiation Council Geneva | Ph.D. in International Law
Anastasiia Pokhna
Translator | Interpreter | Bridging Language & Diplomacy | Global Affairs & Public Policy Focus
Mathu Mcube
Product Designer (UX/UI) | European Youth Summit Delegate ’26 | Global Advocacy
Valentina Cueva Noroña
University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (UCT Prague). University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague (UCT Prague)
Alexandre Wassel
CFP Candidate | Financial Planning & Wealth Management Student | FPA President
Elionay De Souza
Political Science & International Relations Student | Programs Director | Young Leader
Léanne Ricard
Solutions Architect @ Botpress
Silvia Zanetti
Health Coordinator at Special Olympics Germany | Global Health, Msc.
Edmund Nwoke
Medical Doctor MDCN | GMC | Public Speaker |
Maksym Loharzhevskyi
Vice President of European Youth Parliament Ukraine
Armine Sargsyan, BIDA
Consultant at BDO in Armenia (Deal Advisory Services) | BIDA®
Mif Ardianata Pratama Putra
Assistant to the Coordinating Minister of Human Development and Culture
Doruk Atay
Candidate Career Diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye
Victoria Mañach
Founder | Director of Acceler8 | TEDx Speaker | BSc Politics with Economics | Activist |
Daniella Bilich
Sales and BD Executive | Industrial X-Ray | China-Eu bridge builder | Consultancy
Eduard Tokarskiy
PHD in History of International Relations | Product Manager @ BuyIn
Francisco Birgé Deymonnaz
Advanced Law Student, Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences, National University of La Plata (UNLP).
Morontowumi A.
Cybersecurity Professional | Offensive Security | Cybersecurity Educator | GMCPN | Founder at Fortis Technologies, Ent | Co-Founder at SASEMI
Marie Geest
Communication & Prevention @ Airbus | MSc Marketing Student @ ISCTE Business School
Sofía Guerrero Campos
Legal Assistant | Law | Youth Climate Justice Advocate | Human Rights–Based Approaches | Fiction writer | Spanish/English
Eman Ibrawish
Copywriter, Cultural Adviser, Localization Expert & Digital Media Consultant
Fernanda Barrios
Master logistics and supply chain
Meng, Fan Tung
Customer Support Specialist
Alexey Gusakov
Data-Driven Strategist
Luwam Mebrahtu Gebrehiwet
Human Rights Advocate
John Sley PIERRE
Cultural Mediator
Kawsar Arzomand
Doctoral Researcher in Artificial Intelligence
Vannia Yalan
MPA Candidate at George Washington University
Ananya Tiwari
Junior Marketing @sparrow.parts
Lebo Mmatjie
Project Manager
Ruwani De Silva
Food System Transformation
Yasmine Frikha
Finance student
Video Highlights
Delegates Testmonial
faqs
Frequently Asked Questions
The European Youth Summit 2026 (EYS 2026) was a four-day international youth diplomacy summit organised by the Centre for Diplomatic Advancement (CDA), held from 5–8 June 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland. It brought together over 207 delegates from more than 120 countries.
The Summit was organised by the Centre for Diplomatic Advancement (CDA), an organisation that runs diplomacy, leadership, and international-affairs programmes for emerging young leaders.
EYS 2026 took place at the Mövenpick Hotel Geneva in Geneva, Switzerland, with institutional visits to the Palais des Nations and the World Trade Organization headquarters at the Centre William Rappard.
Speakers and facilitators included Ms. Özge Aydoğan (Director, Beyond Lab, UNOG), Ambassador Miroslav Papa (Permanent Observer of the Council of Europe to the UN in Geneva), Ms. Haley McClain Hill, Mr. Tim van Doorne (GICHD), Ms. Marzia Marastoni (Negotiation Council Geneva), Mr. Elio Azar (Principles for Peace), and Ms. Marianne Antunes (Geneva Graduate Institute).
Delegates adopted the EYS 2026 Summit Declaration, a shared statement of commitments on diplomacy, peacebuilding, and international cooperation, and joined a global CDA network spanning 120+ countries.
Details of upcoming CDA summits and programmes are published on the Centre for Diplomatic Advancement’s official website and social media channels.