NUMO’s Operating Director, Veronika Diakovych, participated in the Eastern Partnership Youth Conference 2026, held in Stockholm. The conference brought together representatives of youth councils, civil society organizations, government institutions, and youth activists from European Union Member States and the Eastern Partnership countries. The event aimed to discuss the challenges facing young people today and identify shared approaches to addressing them.

The conference focused on youth policy, civic engagement, democratic processes, and the participation of young people in decision-making. Participants shared their experiences in promoting youth participation and discussed ways to ensure that young people have a meaningful influence on policymaking in their countries.

One of the discussion sessions was dedicated to the challenges currently facing the youth sector across the Eastern Partnership region. Participants addressed the shrinking civic space, increasing pressure on youth organizations, the spread of disinformation and hate speech, as well as security challenges that make it more difficult to engage young people and support their participation in public life.

At the same time, the conference focused not only on challenges but also on solutions. Participants exchanged practices that help sustain youth participation even in difficult circumstances and discussed how international cooperation, partnerships, and mutual support among organizations from the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries can strengthen the youth sector.

For NUMO, participation in the conference was an opportunity to present Ukraine’s experience in developing youth policy, share its own best practices, and contribute to the international dialogue on the role of young people in democratic change. Such events help build new partnerships, facilitate the exchange of experience, and strengthen the voice of Ukrainian youth at the international level.