The small Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is preparing to welcome hundreds of young change-makers from all corners of the Commonwealth bloc this November, for a landmark gathering dedicated to elevating youth voices in global leadership and building collaborative routes to inclusive economic growth.
Scheduled to run from November 2 to 4 at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus in St. John’s, the 2025 Commonwealth Youth Forum will be held in advance of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), aligning youth priorities with the bloc’s top-level policy agenda. Under the official theme “Investing in Youth Agency — Co-Creating Pathways Towards Shared Prosperity”, the forum will create space for delegates to examine how young people can drive the development of a more resilient, adaptive Commonwealth that responds to 21st-century challenges.
This upcoming Antigua and Barbuda gathering builds on a successful pre-forum event held in London this past July: a special edition of the Commonwealth Leadership Series, hosted jointly by the Commonwealth Youth Council and the John A. Kufuor Foundation. Held on July 24, that event brought together more than 40 emerging young leaders to unpack the evolving demands of effective leadership in a fast-shifting global landscape.
Speaking at the London session, former Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor, the namesake of the co-host foundation, urged participants to embrace technological transformation and evolving social norms while retaining a people-centric approach to leadership. “In an era defined by artificial intelligence, climate disruption, democratic pressure and economic uncertainty, leadership is no longer measured only by title or office. It is measured by judgment, service and the ability to hold ambition together with empathy,” Kufuor told delegates.
The focus on youth leadership comes as no surprise for the 56-nation bloc: demographic data shows that more than 60% of the Commonwealth’s total 2.7 billion population is under the age of 30, making youth engagement a critical priority for the organization’s long-term relevance and impact.