We are pleased to inform you about the upcoming 1st Regional Open Meeting of the CITES Global Youth Network (CGYN) Europe Chapter, which will take place online on 17 June 2026 from 10:00–12:00 CET.
The meeting is organised by the CGYN Europe Regional Co-Leads, Mathias Buch Andersen and Julia Rusch, with support from existing CGYN Europe Members.
The CITES Global Youth Network (CGYN) is an informal, youth-led global network established to empower young leaders aged 18–35 working on issues related to wildlife conservation and sustainable wildlife trade. The Network was developed with the support and guidance of the CITES Secretariat and in collaboration with CITES Parties and partners to strengthen meaningful youth engagement in CITES-related processes and activities.
At CITES CoP20, Parties agreed to further strengthen work on youth engagement under CITES, including through amendments to Resolution Conf. 17.5 (Rev. CoP18) on Youth engagement and increasing recognition of the role of youth in supporting implementation of the Convention and awareness-raising activities. The CGYN is intended as a practical platform to support these objectives at global and regional level.
Following the establishment of regional leadership structures in early 2026, the CGYN Europe Chapter is now being developed as a regional platform within the wider CGYN framework. The Chapter aims to foster networking, collaboration, mentorship, knowledge-sharing and youth participation in CITES-related processes and initiatives across the European region.
The first part of the meeting, the open session (10:00–11:30 CET), is intended for interested youth (18–35 years old) and other colleagues wishing to learn more about:
- the CITES Global Youth Network;
- the CGYN Europe Chapter;
- how to become a CGYN Member or Volunteer;
- current and planned activities and collaboration opportunities.
A second part, the closed session, will be accessible only to existing CGYN Europe Members and will run tentatively from 11:30–12:00 CET.
The Concept Note for the meeting, including background information and examples of ongoing CGYN Europe activities, is available here. The document will be updated with a more detailed agenda shortly.
We would be very grateful if you could circulate this invitation further within your administrations, institutions, networks and relevant youth colleagues who may be interested in wildlife conservation and sustainable wildlife trade. This email is being sent only to the email addresses noted in the national authorities registry on the CITES website.
In case of any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us, ideally via the CGYN Europe functional mailbox: cgyneurope@gmail.com.
You can sign up here.
