Apply for OHCHR-EAA Youth Rights Academy

The Youth Rights Academy is aimed at building capacities of young advocates and practitioners working on human rights, particularly in the contexts of conflict and insecurity. It will explore definitions, concepts, and frameworks related to the human rights of young people and connected issues and empower participants to use advocacy and other tools to promote human rights in their communities.

Scope

• The participants of the Youth Rights Academy will be expected to:
  • Actively cooperate with OHCHR and EAA on the logistical aspects related to the organization of travel to Geneva and participation in the academy, including by providing all requested information and documents in an accurate and timely manner.
  • Commit to attend all academy sessions, complete given assignments, actively participate in the discussions and extra-curricular activities.
  • Use knowledge and skills acquired through the academy to design human rights initiatives to be implemented in their communities.
  • Stay in touch with EAA and OHCHR to provide reports and updates on the implementation of the said initiatives after completing the academy.

Cost Covered 

• Organizers will cover expenses of participants related to their travel and stay in Geneva during the Academy.

Eligibility Criteria

• 18-30 years old (as of 7 July 2025).
• Minimum 2 years of experience in advocating for human rights, including the rights of young people, at local, national, regional, or international level.
• Provision of a reference letter from a professional or personal contact attesting to the candidate’s advocacy and human rights work.
• English language proficiency (working level). The Academy will be held exclusively in English, with no interpretation provided.

Selection Criteria

• OHCHR will release a call to civil society and youth organizations on the OHCHR website and promote it via the social media channels of OHCHR, EAA and partner entities.
• In the call, young human rights advocates will be invited to submit their applications using an online form, including general information, a CV, a reference letter, and responses to substantive questions.
• From the list of applicants, EAA and OHCHR will select long-listed candidates, and ask them to perform a task (e.g. record a short video or respond in writing to a substantive question).
• Based on the task performance, EAA and OHCHR will select shortlisted candidates and conduct short interviews with them to select the final participants.

For more information, visit United Nations.