About Global Youth Voices

We are a movement of youth organizations and coalitions working together to prevent nicotine addiction, protect policymaking from tobacco industry interference, and hold the industry accountable for harms to people and the planet.

Explore our movement
Youth delegates at WHO FCTC COP10 holding placards that read “Protect the youth”, “Say no to tobacco industry interference” and “Protect children from tobacco industry interference”
Young people raising their hands together at a rally

Who We Are

GYV is a movement through which participating youth organizations and coalitions develop shared policy positions and act together across countries and regions.

GYV brings together youth organizations and coalitions across countries and regions. Our Declaration provides a common foundation for the policy positions we develop and the advocacy we undertake together as well as individually at national and international levels.

Participating organizations contribute their experience, knowledge and networks and together, remain committed to independence from tobacco industry interests, and demands for ambitious, evidence-informed action.

The Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control convenes the movement and provides technical, research, and coordination support.

A street mural reading “Clean air: breathe deep for our future”

Why We Exist

The tobacco industry deliberately targets young people through flavors, appealing products, digital marketing, sponsorship, and influencers. Misleading claims about innovation and reduced harm make addictive products seem normal, modern, and socially acceptable. It also seeks to influence the laws and institutions responsible for protecting the public. Young people therefore need more than awareness campaigns, they need concrete policy actions. that can challenge tobacco industry interference and demand accountability.

We bring young people’s experiences and demands into decisions that affect their health, rights and future, and call on governments to protect them from industry influence and harm.

We connect experiences across countries with global policy debates, turning shared priorities into coordinated advocacy and action.

How We Work

GYV turns shared youth positions into coordinated advocacy through connected areas of work.

How GYV Works illustration

Develop shared policy positions

Participating organizations contribute country and regional perspectives to develop common declarations, statements, open letters, and policy demands grounded in the GYV Declaration.

Coordinate campaigns and advocacy

We organize collective advocacy around strategic policy debates, treaty negotiations, and campaign opportunities. Participating organizations translate and adapt materials for their audiences while maintaining our agreed positions.

Bring youth demants to decision-makers

We support participating organizations in communicating shared demands to decision-makers at national, regional and international levels.

Youth Spokespersons

Our  youth spokespersons communicate agreed GYV positions, contribute to campaign planning, identify emerging issues affecting young people in their regions, and participate in policy and media opportunities. They also bring emerging issues and experiences from their countries and regions into the movement’s discussions.

Lisa Lu

Lisa Lu

International Youth Tobacco Control

United States of America

Sama Ghozlan

Sama Ghozlan

International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation

Egypt

Juan Camilo Herrera Palacio

Juan Camilo Herrera Palacio

Alianza Juvenil Bienestar & Desarrollo

Colombia

Karina Mocanu

Karina Mocanu

European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention Next

Belgium

Winnie Olwal

Winnie Olwal

Youth in Action

Kenya

Sarah Rauzana

Sarah Rauzana

ASEAN Youth Organization

Indonesia

Ana Paula Ramis Aguilar

Ana Paula Ramis Aguilar

Red Internacional de Promotores ODS

Mexico

Mehrbanoo Hosseinirad

Mehrbanoo Hosseinirad

Iranian Medical Students Association

Iran

Lesego Mateme

Lesego Mateme

South African Tobacco-Free Youth Forum

South Africa

Yvette Mbewe

Yvette Mbewe

Tobacco Free Association of Zambia Youth Advocates

Zambia

Gene Gesite

Gene Gesite

Global Youth Voices

Philippines

Our Global Network

Our participating youth organizations and coalitions work across health, education, development, the environment and related fields, and represent various parts of the world.

Organizations contribute according to their experience and capacity. Some help with campaigns, develop policy messages, or participate in international discussions. Others translate materials, engage national decision-makers, contribute country evidence, or amplify common calls through their networks.

70+

Participating organizations and coalitions

135+

Countries covered

Participating Organizations and Coalitions

Explore the organizations contributing to the Global Youth Voices movement.

View participating organizations→

Our Principles

GYV's work is guided by the following principles:

Independence from the tobacco industry

We do not accept tobacco industry funding or engage with the industry or organizations and individuals working to further its interests.

Public interest over commercial interest

The health, rights, and future of young people must take priority over industry profit and influence.

Implementation of the WHO FCTC

We support full and effective implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), including Article 5.3 on protecting public health policies from the tobacco industry’s commercial and other vested interests..

Evidence-informed advocacy

We draw on research, policy analysis and the experiences of young people and participating organizations to develop and communicate our positions.

Accountability and responsibility for harm

We call  for measures that hold the tobacco industry legally and financially responsible for the harm it causes, including transparency, liability and polluter-pays measures. We also call on governments and institutions to implement and enforce protective policies.

Our Journey

GYV has developed from coordinated youth advocacy into a continuing global platform for shared policy positions, international engagement, and tobacco industry accountability.

Explore all milestones
  1. 2020-2022The foundations of Global Youth Voices
    Before we adopted a common Declaration, youth organizations and advocates were already building a shared agenda around tobacco industry accountability, addiction, and intergenerational harm.
    Read more: The foundations of Global Youth Voices
  2. Oct 2023A shared youth position ahead of COP10
    More than 30 youth organizations came together under Global Youth Voices to issue a common position ahead of the Tenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
    Read more: A shared youth position ahead of COP10
  3. Nov 2023WHO amplifies Global Youth Voices
    WHO highlighted the role of young people in challenging tobacco industry tactics and linked the campaign with the emerging Global Youth Voices call ahead of COP10.
    Read more: WHO amplifies Global Youth Voices
  4. Feb 2024Global Youth Voices at COP10
    At WHO FCTC COP10 in Panama, youth organizations and young activists from around the world gathered under the common Global Youth Voices banner and brought their shared demands directly into the global tobacco-control treaty process.
    Read more: Global Youth Voices at COP10
  5. May 2024Our Declaration is adopted
    Participating youth organizations adopted the GYV Declaration at the Global Youth Voice Summit in May 2024, establishing shared demands on addictive products, tobacco industry interference, environmental harm, and industry accountability.
    Read more: Our Declaration is adopted
  6. Sept 2024A call for policy coherence across the UN
    We wrote to the United Nations Secretary-General, calling for stronger policy coherence and protection from tobacco industry interference across the UN system ahead of the General Assembly and Summit of the Future.
    Read more: A call for policy coherence across the UN
  7. May 2025Putting the Declaration into action
    For World No Tobacco Day 2025, we developed Declaration in Action: Unmasking the Tobacco Industry's Appeal, Demanding Accountability for Its Harms.
    Read more: Putting the Declaration into action
  8. Aug 2025Youth demands participate in global plastics negotiation
    We joined youth and environmental partners in calling on INC-5.2 negotiators to ban cigarette filters, protect environmental policymaking from tobacco industry interference, and strengthen liability for tobacco-related plastic pollution. A UNEP-hosted opening plenary intervention brought the GYV demands into the INC-5.2 negotiations.
    Read more: Youth demands participate in global plastics negotiation
  9. Nov 2025GYV advances youth priorities at COP11
    At WHO FCTC COP11 in Geneva, GYV continued bringing youth perspectives and shared policy demands into global tobacco control governance.
    Read more: GYV advances youth priorities at COP11

Take part or collaborate

We welcome youth organizations and coalitions that support our Declaration and principles and remain independent of tobacco industry interests to enquire about participation. Participating organizations can share country perspectives, help shape policy messages, support campaigns, translate materials and engage decision-makers. While Public health, civil society and other institutions independent of tobacco industry interests are also welcome to discuss ways to collaborate and support our work.

Inquire about participationDiscuss a collaboration