The foundations of Global Youth Voices

Before GYV adopted a common Declaration, youth organizations and advocates were already building a shared agenda around tobacco industry accountability, addiction, and intergenerational harm.

From 2020, coordinated advocacy challenged tobacco sponsorship in global sport and called for stronger responsibility for industry conduct. In 2021, youth action continued around Formula 1 sponsorship while the wider Make Tobacco Pay agenda helped bring liability and accountability into public-facing advocacy. In August 2022, youth organizations issued the Statement on the Intergenerational Responsibility of the Tobacco Industry, calling for the industry to be held accountable and liable for harms to people, the planet and future generations.

These early efforts established ideas that would later become central to GYV: protect future generations, challenge tobacco industry influence, and make the industry bear responsibility for its harms.