What is the YOUTH 7 (Y7) Summit?

by Amy Wilson

The Group of 7 (G7) is the gathering of world leaders from seven of the most advanced economies, namely, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, France, Canada, Italy, and Japan [1]. The G7 meet annually to discuss important shared issues such as climate change. 

The youth engagement group for the G7 is known as Youth 7 (Y7) [1]. 

Four youth leaders (18 to 30 year olds) from each of the G7 countries form the respective countries delegation team during the Y7 summit [2]. There is one delegate for each of the four topic areas of the Y7 Summit, these topic areas change annually. The youth leaders come together to develop, negotiate and recommend policy ideas on behalf of the young people to the Heads of State, for the respective G7 countries [1]. 

The first ever youth-led policy communiqué (official announcement from young people) was negotiated in 2011 after the G7 Summit in Paris, and since then the Y7 has remained a key method of communication between young people and the G7 governments [3]. 

Prior to the Y7 Summit, delegates collate the views of young people from their respective countries to take to the negotiations [4]. The Y7 youth delegates also present their recommendations to governments on how to engage young people in decision making and to actively listen to young people’s voices [5]. 

Want to know more about the Y7 summit? Check out our interview with Evie Aspinall, Head UK Delegate to the G7 Youth Summit.

References

[1] Future Leaders. URL: https://www.futureleaders.network/y7home [last accessed 24/06/21]
[2] Cornwall Council, What is G7, n.d., URL: https://www.y7cornwall.co.uk/what-is-g7 [last accessed 29/06/21]
[3] YPFP, About Y7 Summit, n.d., URL: https://www.ypfp.org/y7summit2020/about/ [last accessed 26/06/21]
[4]  Tom Innis, Y7 Climate & Environment track policies announced, 2021, Voice. URL: https://www.voicemag.uk/news/9124/y7-climate-environment-track-policies-announced [last accessed 24/06/21][5] Youth 7, n.d., URL: https://www.g7uk.org/youth-7/ [last accessed 26/06/21]