International Youth Conference 2026 (IYC26)
The International Youth Conference 2026 (IYC26) is an event designed for college-level participants, taking place in Seoul, South Korea. This conference offers a platform for young individuals to engage in discussions and collaborative activities focused on global issues. The event emphasizes fostering international understanding and cooperation among future leaders.
Committees & topics
Why it matters
The IYC26 is significant because it convenes college-level students in a global setting, providing an early opportunity for them to engage with complex international challenges. Such gatherings are crucial for developing a generation of leaders equipped with a global perspective and the skills necessary for cross-cultural collaboration. By bringing together participants from various backgrounds, the conference aims to cultivate a deeper understanding of diverse viewpoints and foster innovative solutions to pressing world problems.
Events like the IYC26 contribute to what is often termed 'soft diplomacy,' where informal interactions and shared experiences can build bridges between future leaders from different nations. This is particularly relevant in an increasingly interconnected world where global challenges require collective action. The conference's focus on youth engagement ensures that new ideas and fresh perspectives are brought to the forefront of international discourse, potentially influencing future policy and cooperation.
How to prepare
To maximize the benefit from the International Youth Conference 2026, participants should engage in thorough preparation. This includes researching the host country, KOR, to understand its cultural nuances and geopolitical context. Familiarity with the region will enable more informed contributions to discussions and a richer overall experience.
Participants should also consider how to effectively engage with diverse perspectives, a skill critical for successful international collaboration. Lessons such as "Engagement Strategies" and "What Is Stakeholder Mapping?" can provide valuable frameworks for understanding different viewpoints and navigating group dynamics. Preparing to articulate one's own perspectives clearly while actively listening to others will be key to productive dialogue. Additionally, exploring concepts like "Hidden Stakeholders" can help participants identify and consider all relevant actors in complex global issues, enhancing the depth of their contributions.
Country perspectives
Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.
Topics & background
The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.
Human Dignity as a Foundation of International Order
Key players
United StatesHistoric drafter of the UDHR and frequent invoker of dignity-based human rights diplomacy, though selective in application.
ChinaAdvances a development-first, sovereignty-bound reading of dignity that prioritises collective welfare over individual civil liberties.
GermanyConstitutionally anchors human dignity as inviolable (Basic Law Art. 1) and champions it in EU and UN forums.
South AfricaPost-apartheid constitution makes dignity a foundational value; vocal in linking dignity to socioeconomic rights and decolonisation.
Saudi ArabiaRepresents an Islamic-values framing of dignity (Cairo Declaration), often at odds with universalist liberal interpretations.
BrazilBridges Global South perspectives, linking dignity to inequality, indigenous rights, and humanitarian protection.
Openness in the Global Order: Information, Trade, and Governance
Key players
- United States
Architect of the post-1945 open order, now hedging with tariffs, tech export controls, and selective decoupling from China.
- China
Major beneficiary of trade openness while maintaining tight controls on information and foreign digital platforms.
EstoniaLeading model of open digital government and e-governance, prominent advocate for an open internet.
SingaporeChampion of open trade and connectivity as a small, hyper-globalised state navigating US-China rivalry.
IndiaPursues digital public infrastructure and open standards while tightening data localisation and content rules.
- Germany
Anchors EU positions on open markets, open science, and rules-based digital openness via the DSA and GDPR.
The State of Democracy: Backsliding, Resilience, and Renewal
Key players
- United States
Convener of the Summit for Democracy and a high-profile case of polarisation and contested electoral norms.
- China
Promotes an alternative, party-led model of 'whole-process people's democracy' challenging liberal-democratic universalism.
- India
World's largest democracy, central to debates over electoral scale, pluralism, and democratic backsliding indicators.
HungaryFrequently cited example of 'illiberal democracy' within the EU, testing the bloc's rule-of-law mechanisms.
- Brazil
Recently navigated an attempted insurrection and is a key voice on democratic resilience in the Global South.
- South Africa
Post-apartheid democratic anchor in Africa, influential on AU norms against unconstitutional changes of government.
Resources
News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Youth Conference 2026 (IYC26).
Lessons
Bite-sized lessons to build the basics
Courses
Guided courses that go deeper on the topic
The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance