Deadline: 11-Jun-2026
The UNICEF Youth on the Move Programme 2026 is a global initiative designed to expand professional development, mentorship, inclusion, and leadership opportunities for migrant and displaced youth within the United Nations system. Building on the success of previous fellowship cohorts, the program empowers young people with lived experience of migration and displacement to contribute to policy discussions, strengthen professional skills, access career pathways, and participate in decision-making processes related to migration and displacement.
Overview
The Youth on the Move Programme is a professional development and youth empowerment initiative led by UNICEF in partnership with United Nations Volunteers.
The program aims to remove barriers that often prevent migrant and displaced youth from accessing internships, fellowships, mentorship opportunities, and professional networks. By creating structured pathways into international development and humanitarian work, the initiative ensures that young people with lived migration experiences are actively involved in shaping policies and programs that affect their communities.
The program forms part of UNICEF’s broader commitment to equity, inclusion, participation, and non-discrimination under its global strategic framework.
Program Details
- Program Name: UNICEF-UNV Youth on the Move Programme 2026
- Lead Organization: UNICEF
- Partner Organization: United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
- Program Type: Professional development and youth empowerment initiative
- Target Group: Migrant and displaced youth
- Global Focus: Migration, displacement, protection, and inclusion
- Planned Cohort Onboarding: Second and third quarters of 2026
- Delivery Model: Mentorship, capacity building, networking, and policy engagement
Key Focus Areas
The program supports engagement and capacity building in:
- Migration and displacement
- Access to asylum
- Child protection
- Freedom of movement
- Family reunification
- Gender-based violence prevention and response
- Legal assistance and access to justice
- Crime and violence prevention
- Protection services
- Emergency protection
- Registration and profiling
- Youth empowerment
- Professional development
- Leadership development
- Mentorship
- Inclusion and participation
- Humanitarian action
- Migration governance
- Youth engagement in policymaking
Background of the Programme
UNICEF recognizes that migrant and displaced youth often face significant challenges when pursuing education, employment, and professional opportunities.
Common barriers include:
- Legal restrictions
- Documentation requirements
- Financial limitations
- Residency challenges
- Limited professional networks
- Restricted access to internships and entry-level roles
To address these challenges, UNICEF launched the Youth on the Move Fellowship Pilot Programme in 2022 with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through the PROSPECTS Partnership.
The pilot operated between October 2022 and June 2024 and demonstrated the value of creating dedicated opportunities for young people with lived experiences of migration and displacement.
Following the success of the pilot phase, UNICEF and UNV launched the institutionalized Youth on the Move Programme in August 2024, creating a scalable and sustainable model within the United Nations system.
What is the Youth on the Move Programme?
The programme is designed to empower migrant and displaced youth through professional growth, leadership development, and meaningful participation.
The initiative seeks to:
- Strengthen employability skills.
- Expand professional networks.
- Increase participation in policy discussions.
- Improve access to mentorship opportunities.
- Support leadership development.
- Promote youth inclusion in international organizations.
- Ensure migrant and displaced youth contribute directly to program design and implementation.
The program values lived experience as a form of expertise and recognizes the important contributions young people can make to migration and displacement policies.
Programme Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Empower migrant and displaced youth.
- Strengthen professional competencies.
- Increase access to career development opportunities.
- Promote inclusion within the UN system.
- Enhance youth participation in decision-making.
- Support migration and displacement policy engagement.
- Build sustainable peer networks.
- Strengthen youth-led advocacy initiatives.
Professional Development Opportunities
Participants receive access to a range of learning and career development activities.
These include:
Mentorship Programmes
Participants are matched with experienced professionals who provide career guidance, coaching, and support.
Skills Development Training
Training sessions focus on:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Professional writing
- Advocacy
- Policy analysis
- Project management
- International development competencies
Capacity-Building Activities
Participants strengthen technical and professional skills relevant to careers in:
- International organizations
- Humanitarian agencies
- Development institutions
- Migration and displacement sectors
Career Pathway Support
The program helps participants understand career opportunities within international institutions and related sectors.
Participation in Migration and Displacement Policy Processes
A central objective of the initiative is ensuring that migrant and displaced youth have meaningful opportunities to engage in policy discussions.
Participants may contribute to:
- Global migration dialogues
- Youth consultations
- Policy forums
- International conferences
- Humanitarian discussions
- Migration governance initiatives
The program promotes youth participation not only as beneficiaries but also as active contributors to policy development.
Alumni Network
The initiative includes the development of a Youth on the Move Alumni Network.
The network aims to:
- Facilitate long-term professional connections.
- Promote peer learning.
- Support knowledge exchange.
- Encourage collaboration.
- Strengthen youth-led advocacy.
- Maintain engagement beyond the formal program period.
The Alumni Network creates a sustainable community of young leaders working on migration and displacement issues worldwide.
Open-Access Learning Resources
The programme will produce learning materials that remain available beyond individual cohort participation.
Resources may include:
- Mentorship toolkits
- Skills development guides
- Professional development materials
- Learning modules
- Career resources
- Knowledge products on migration and displacement
These resources are intended to benefit a wider community of youth on the move globally.
Expected Activities
Planned activities include:
- Establishment of mentorship programmes
- Development of mentorship toolkits
- Management of the Alumni Network
- Skills accelerator sessions
- Professional development workshops
- Learning roundtables
- Networking events
- Policy engagement opportunities
- Participation in global forums
- Peer support initiatives
Expected Outcomes
The programme seeks to achieve several long-term outcomes.
These include:
- Increased youth participation in decision-making.
- Enhanced professional skills.
- Greater access to mentorship.
- Improved employability.
- Stronger professional networks.
- Increased representation of migrant youth perspectives.
- Greater involvement in migration and displacement policymaking.
- Stronger youth leadership and advocacy capacity.
Who Is Eligible?
The programme is designed primarily for:
- Migrant youth
- Refugee youth
- Displaced youth
- Young people with lived migration experiences
- Youth interested in migration and displacement issues
- Emerging leaders from marginalized communities
Specific eligibility requirements may be outlined during the application process and cohort recruitment stage.
How the Programme Works
Step 1: Expression of Interest
Eligible candidates submit an expression of interest or application during the recruitment period.
Step 2: Selection Process
Applications are reviewed based on program criteria, experience, motivation, and alignment with program objectives.
Step 3: Onboarding
Selected participants join the new cohort and receive orientation and introductory training.
Step 4: Mentorship and Capacity Building
Participants engage in mentorship relationships and professional development activities.
Step 5: Policy Engagement and Networking
Youth participate in discussions, forums, workshops, and networking opportunities.
Step 6: Alumni Network Participation
Graduates remain connected through the Youth on the Move Alumni Network.
Why This Programme Matters
Migrant and displaced youth are often excluded from opportunities that shape policies affecting their lives.
This initiative helps:
- Promote equity and inclusion.
- Reduce barriers to professional opportunities.
- Strengthen youth leadership.
- Increase representation in decision-making.
- Improve career prospects.
- Encourage meaningful participation.
- Build stronger migration and displacement policies informed by lived experience.
The programme demonstrates how youth engagement can strengthen both institutional effectiveness and policy outcomes.
Benefits for Participants
Participants may gain:
- Professional mentorship
- Leadership development opportunities
- International networking opportunities
- Career guidance
- Policy engagement experience
- Skills development training
- Peer support networks
- Exposure to UN systems and processes
- Access to professional learning resources
- Long-term alumni engagement opportunities
Tips for a Strong Application
- Clearly explain your lived experience or connection to migration and displacement.
- Demonstrate leadership potential.
- Highlight community engagement activities.
- Show commitment to inclusion and social impact.
- Explain your professional goals.
- Emphasize interest in policy engagement.
- Provide examples of initiative and resilience.
- Demonstrate willingness to contribute to peer learning and collaboration.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Providing incomplete application information.
- Submitting generic motivation statements.
- Failing to explain relevant experiences.
- Underestimating the importance of lived experience perspectives.
- Not demonstrating commitment to youth participation.
- Ignoring leadership and community engagement examples.
- Weak articulation of future goals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Youth on the Move Programme?
It is a UNICEF and UNV initiative that supports migrant and displaced youth through mentorship, professional development, networking, and policy engagement opportunities.
Who leads the programme?
The programme is led by UNICEF in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.
Who is the target audience?
The initiative primarily supports migrant, refugee, and displaced youth, as well as young people with lived experiences related to migration and displacement.
What benefits do participants receive?
Participants gain access to mentorship, professional development, networking opportunities, skills training, policy engagement activities, and alumni support.
Will participants engage in policymaking discussions?
Yes. The program encourages participation in migration and displacement policy processes, consultations, and global decision-making forums.
What is the Alumni Network?
The Alumni Network is a long-term platform that supports networking, peer learning, advocacy, and continued engagement after program completion.
Why was the programme created?
The programme was established to address barriers that often prevent migrant and displaced youth from accessing professional opportunities and to ensure their perspectives are represented in policy and program development.
Conclusion
The UNICEF-UNV Youth on the Move Programme 2026 represents an important step toward creating more inclusive pathways for migrant and displaced youth within international development and humanitarian systems. Through mentorship, skills development, policy engagement, and professional networking, the initiative empowers young people to become active contributors to migration and displacement solutions while strengthening their career prospects and leadership potential. By centering lived experience and meaningful participation, the program helps build a more inclusive and representative future for global migration governance and youth engagement.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.
