Guidelines for Application

Role and Responsibilities of 2026 - 2027 Afghan Youth Representative to the UN (AYR-UN)

  • Gather insights from Afghan youth across the country through discussions, surveys, and interviews over a six-month period to understand their challenges, aspirations, and concerns.
  • Advocate for youth rights, particularly women’s rights, with a focus on girls’ education and employment.
  • Lead two online campaigns focused on education and youth empowerment, with particular emphasis on women and girls.
  • Prepare comprehensive reports based on interviews, surveys, and discussions with young men and women.
  • Draft policy papers to raise awareness of the challenges facing Afghan youth and advocate for their meaningful participation in global discussions.
  • Engage with global leaders and organizations to build partnerships that support Afghan youth, especially women and girls in Afghanistan.
  • Lead the Afghanistan Youth Strategy Plan initiated by the previous Youth Representative in collaboration with the APT team.
  • Serve as a speaker at initiatives that advance the goals and objectives of the program.

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.

  • 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 2026.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Reach Out, Partner Up, Take Part

Benefits

The selected candidate will have the opportunity to represent Afghan youth at regional and global platforms and deliver speeches addressing key youth issues, particularly those affecting women and girls.

The program will cover visa application fees and travel costs for events organized by APT for the Youth Representative. It will also provide support for travel related to youth advocacy consultations and program activities.

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

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, 2026.

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.

Selection Committee

All eligible candidates will be selected by a dedicated selection committee. 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.

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

AYR-UN Introduction

Afghans for Progressive Thinking (APT) launched the Afghan Youth Representative to the United Nations (AYR-UN) program in 2018 as a year-long initiative to amplify the voices of young Afghan women and men in global policy discussions.

Following the return of the Taliban, the program focuses on addressing the human rights crisis in Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls, and advocates for access to education, employment, and freedom of expression and movement.

Each year, one young Afghan, preferably a woman, is selected through a competitive process to serve as the Youth Representative. The representative engages with thousands of Afghan youth through surveys, meetings, and interviews to ensure advocacy is informed and inclusive.

Since its inception, five representatives have participated, engaging with major international platforms such as the United Nations Security Council, the European Parliament, and the International Criminal Court.

Deadline for applications: 18 May 2026

Note: Applications will be rejected if AI is used to generate responses.

Learn About the Program

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Learn About the Program

Guidelines for Application

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Guidelines for Application

AYR Application Form 2026

Applicant's Personal Details

Contact Information

Academic and Professional Background

Location

Documents

Social Media Profiles (Optional but encouraged)

Video and Written Question

Video Upload Instructions: Upload your video to YouTube (unlisted), Google Drive, or OneDrive. Copy and paste the link below each question.
Note: Applications will be rejected if AI is used to generate responses.

 

References

Please provide two references who can speak about your qualifications for the Afghan Youth Representative position. One reference should be academic or professional, and the other should be a community reference. References should NOT be family members or personal friends.

References 1

References 2

Declaration and Additional Comments

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