Two years of the Arctic Youth Dialogue: What we’ve heard and what we’ve learned

What priorities do Arctic and European youth have for Arctic policy? And what does it actually take to deliver meaningful youth engagement? Ahead of the third Arctic Youth Dialogue taking place between 28 August – 2 September 2026, we’re taking the opportunity to examine what recurring themes appear in the priorities by the participants from the past two independent cohorts.

Explore the synthesis of the policy recommendations so far (PDF, 2,98 MB)

In the past two editions of the Arctic Youth Dialogue, Arctic and European youth developed policy recommendations. These stem from themes determined by the project’s youth board: The Power of Youth?! — Youth Involvement and Youth Co-Decision Making in the Arctic and Europe (2024) and Youth Needs-Based Suggested Actions for a Just and Sustainable Transition (2025). Three key themes have been identified over these two editions:

• The central role of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Arctic governance
• The importance of accessible funding mechanisms
• Championing climate, biodiversity and nature protection through precaution-led alternatives.

For each topic we have also outlined the related policy recommendations youth have put forward.

The EU-Arctic Youth Dialogues are held as part of the EU Arctic Forum and Indigenous Peoples’ Dialogue. The Arctic Youth Dialogue is an initiative of the European Union and a deliverable under the EU’s Arctic policy. It is implemented under different workstreams, of which the EU-funded project Youth Together for Arctic Futures is a major contributor. The project is delivered by a consortium led by the WWF Global Arctic Programme (WWF Sweden), in cooperation with the Arctic Youth Network, the European Youth Parliament, the Saami Council, Arctic Mayors’ Forum, Tromsø municipality, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists.