Guidelines for Application

Role and Responsibilities of Afghan Youth Representative (AYR)

  • Gather insights from Afghan youth across Afghanistan by conducting discussions, surveys, and interviews to understand their challenges, aspirations, and concerns over a period of six months.   
  • Advocate for youth rights, particularly women’s rights, with a focus on girls education.
  • Draft policy papers  raise awareness about Afghan youth challenges and advocate for meaningful youth participation in Afghanistan.
  • Engage with global leaders and organizations to build partnerships that support Afghan youth in driving positive change.
  • Address the United Nations, sharing perspectives from young Afghan women and men on national challenges and highlighting opportunities for international collaboration.

Eligibility Criteria

This section outlines who the program is intended for, helping ensure that participants are well-aligned with the goals and values of the Afghan Youth Representative to the United Nations initiative.

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  • Applicants must reside outside of Afghanistan. Priority will be given to those who were compelled to leave Afghanistan after August 2021.
  • Applicants must hold a valid passport, residence permit, or other relevant travel documents required for international travel.
  • Must be available to travel to Europe and the United States for up to 20 days between September and December 2025.
  • Must be between 18 and 29 years old at the time of application.
  • Applicants must be able to speak and write in either Dari or Pashto and have a basic understanding of the other language.
  • Must demonstrate an excellent proficiency of the English language
  • Must have a minimum of 2 years of volunteer experience.
  • Should be currently engaged in youth-related or civic activities.
  • Should be able to work in teams, demonstrate a passion for gathering insights from diverse youth, and communicate effectively across cultures and professionally.
  • Should have experience managing official social media activities and be able to fulfill responsibilities outlined in the Terms of Reference.
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  • Applicants who have applied for immigrant visas (with unclear status), lottery visas, or have pending immigration cases.
  • Those unable to travel internationally due to restrictions on travel documents or visas.
  • Anyone unable to commit to full participation in the program.
  • Applicants who are current or former employees of APT.
  • Candidates who have an existing scholarship, fellowship, or full-time commitment that conflicts with travel dates.

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Benefits

The selected candidate will have the opportunity to represent Afghan youth at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and deliver a speech addressing key youth issues.

This program will cover visa application fees for the United States and Schengen countries. It will also cover airfare from the selected candidate’s country of residence to the United States and Europe.

The program also provides coverage for travel related to youth advocacy consultations and events in the US and Europe.

Note: The program will not cover any additional costs (travel, transportation, or accommodation) incurred if the applicant independently initiates other activities.

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Timeline

The Afghan Youth Representative program is a highly competitive process—only one representative is selected. We appreciate your patience as we carefully review each application. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by May 15, 2025.

If you do not hear from us by May 15, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted regarding the next steps. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered by the selection committee.

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Selection Committee

All eligible candidates will be selected by a dedicated selection committee, which consists of representatives from Afghans for Progressive Thinking (APT) and Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS). The selection process includes multiple phases of review, written and oral tests, interviews, and a final round of selection. The first phase of interviews and the final round will be conducted online.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions about the Afghan Youth Representative to the United Nations program, including eligibility, application process, responsibilities, and key dates.

Unfortunately, due to security concerns, travel restrictions, and visa challenges, we cannot accept applications from within Afghanistan.

Yes. As the outcome of the status is pending and uncertain, this category is ineligible for this call.

This call is open to any Afghan who resides outside Afghanistan and fulfills other eligibility criteria mentioned in the call.

No. Only youth between the ages of 18-29 are eligible for this call because the resolution 2250 (Youth, Peace, and Security) considers individuals between the ages 18-29 as youth.

If you think that your job experience can strengthen your application, please mention it and if you think it is very irrelevant and does not support your application, we encourage you not to talk about it.

Please talk about the trips you have had in the past three years to inside or outside the country including professional, and academic trips.

As all the processes of the selection and presenting the speech at the United Nations Security Council are in English, we request all the applicants to record the videos in English. For the question ‘What does youth leadership mean to you?’ applicants may record their video in either Dari or Pashto.

Due to the high volume of applications, APT contacts only those shortlisted for the next stages. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at afghanyouthrepresentative@aptyouth.org or reach out to our Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X page, We will try to be as responsive as possible.

Join the Program

Thank you for your interest! This form is currently closed and is not accepting new submissions. For news and updates on future opportunities, we invite you to sign up for our newsletter or connect with us on social media.

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