Welcome to the United Nations 
OHCHR 
Agents of Change: Youth Leading in Conflict and Beyond
24 April 2025
Hadil Abuzaid works as a Project Manager on youth empowering programmes in Gaza.
© OHCHR“Youth in conflict zones don’t need pity — they need partnership, opportunity and the space to lead,” said Hadil Abuzaid (shown above), a Palestinian activist and member of the Youth Advisory Board.
This year, the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) was established as part of a joint project of UN Human Rights and Qatar’s global foundation, Education Above All (EAA): “Human Rights of Youth: Working with and For Youth in Insecurity and Conflict.”
Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, where Abuzaid lives and works, her focus has shifted from long-term youth empowerment to urgent humanitarian efforts where she works to meet the urgent needs of displaced youth and vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.
“Remember, behind every headline from Gaza, there are real people with real dreams,” she said. “We are not statistics or stories of despair — we are students, workers, artists and changemakers trying to live with dignity despite impossible circumstances.”
The YAB unites 12 young leaders from around the world to advocate for human rights and education on a global stage. Since 2022, when the project launched, a total of 22 young people from around the world have participated in the initiative in the advisory role. They work together with the project team to make sure that it is also guided by youth.
“We are very happy to have such inspiring young human rights advocates as our Youth Advisory Board,” said Imma Guerras Delgado, UN Human Rights’ Coordinator of the Child and Youth Rights Unit. “They bring very diverse experiences and knowledge, making our project relevant for youth all over the world.”
Shukurgeldi Myradov is a Youth Engagement Consultant with ties to both Turkmenistan and Austria.© OHCHR
Shukurgeldi Myradov, a YAB member from Turkmenistan, said that in situations of conflict or insecurity, young people are often the first to be affected — through disrupted education, reduced access to healthcare, economic instability, or forced displacement. His work in Central Asia focuses on local initiatives on environmental justice, access to education, or inclusion of marginalized groups.
“Youth are not just a group that needs protection — they are essential actors in building solutions,” he said. “They have the capacity to mobilize, to communicate across dividing lines, and to introduce new ways of thinking.”
Myradov observed that when young people are given genuine roles — not just token involvement — they help create more lasting and inclusive outcomes. Through peacebuilding efforts, awareness campaigns, and grassroots advocacy, they often step in where traditional institutions fall short.
Farida Ally is an education activist from Kenya. © OHCHR
Similarly, Farida Ally, an education activist from Kenya, described her role as a YAB member as a “powerful opportunity to bring grassroots realities into global human rights conversations.”
She advocates for equal education opportunities and youth inclusion.
“Meaningful youth engagement must go beyond tokenism and that young people deserve a seat at the table and the power to influence decisions,” she said. “Being a member of the Youth Advisory Board is a powerful opportunity to bring grassroots realities into global human rights conversations.”
Opportunities to lead
The YAB promotes the project in their home countries and worldwide and advices the project team on how to make activities accessible, relevant and meaningful to diverse youth groups.
Part of the Board’s current priorities is spreading the word about the new Advocacy in Action page at the Youth Empowerment System, a microsite that is a product of the joint project of EAA and UN Human Rights. This page will allow young people from around the world to draw attention to their activism and demonstrate their leadership in human rights advocacy.
In addition, YAB members will participate in the Youth Rights Academy organized by the project partners in Geneva on 7-11 July, where they will strengthen their human rights knowledge and advocacy skills and share their experiences with other young human rights advocates and practitioners.
Maleiha Malik, Education Above All Foundation’s Executive Director of the Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC) programme, expressed the organization’s commitment to the youth empowerment initiative and lauded the youth as visionaries of the future.
“Through our Youth Advisory Board, we join OHCHR in ensuring young voices are leading rights-based advocacy grounded in real impact – cultivating a generation of changemakers,” Malik said.
