New co-operation agreement to strengthen voice of young people in Nordic Council
Alexander Winge (UNR) och Heléne Björklund (NR) undertecknar det nya samarbetsavtalet.
The new agreement was signed in Reykjavik by Alexander Winge on behalf of the Nordic Youth Council and Heléne Björklund on behalf of the Nordic Council.
The co-operation agreement comes shortly after the Nordic Youth Council was established as an independent legal organisation on 1 January 2025, with offices in Helsinki. The decision to establish an independent organisation was made unanimously at the Session of the Nordic Youth Council on 26 October 2024, following a year of investigative work into how a strengthened mandate could increase the influence of young people in Nordic co-operation.
This agreement is an important recognition of the Nordic Youth Council’s role as the collective voice of Nordic young people. We’re now taking the next step to ensure long-term and structured co-operation with the Nordic Council.
A platform for political youth representation in the Nordic Region
The new agreement stipulates that the Nordic Youth Council has the right to speak, but not vote, in meetings of the committees and Presidium of the Nordic Council. The Nordic Youth Council will have its own items on the agendas and have the opportunity to submit recommendations and statements in committees and the Presidium. At the annual sessions of the Nordic Council, the Nordic Youth Council will be invited to take part in the general debate and to bring youth perspectives into political discussions.
The agreement also regulates the financial framework for co-operation. The Nordic Youth Council will receive an annual grant from the Nordic Council to support the organisation’s activities, including participation in meetings, the annual session of the Nordic Youth Council, and other fixed costs related to co-operation. The Nordic Youth Council is required to submit an annual report on its activities and finances to the Nordic Council.
Since its founding in 1971, the Nordic Youth Council has worked to bolster the influence of young people in Nordic co-operation and has long held a place in the work of the Nordic Council. The organisation brings together political youth organisations from across the Nordic Region and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas, policy development, and representation of young people’s interests at the Nordic level.
The new co-operation agreement, which came into effect on 9 December 2025, will be reviewed annually and may be terminated by either party with twelve months’ notice. The agreement reinforces the Nordic Youth Council’s role as a permanent and important partner in Nordic political co-operation, while giving young people better representation in Nordic decision-making processes.
