Youth Ministerial: Young people shape regional recommendations in Warsaw

Youth delegates with officials from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

From 20 to 22 April 2026, youth delegates aged 18 to 29 from across the Baltic Sea Region met in Warsaw for the CBSS Youth Ministerial 2026. Hosted under the Polish CBSS Presidency by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, the meeting provided a platform for young people to address regional priorities and prepare recommendations for CBSS Foreign Ministers.

The main outcome of the Youth Ministerial is a set of youth recommendations to be presented to CBSS Foreign Ministers at their upcoming Ministerial Session later this year. Prior to that, the recommendations will also be presented to the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials.

During three days of work, delegates addressed a broad range of issues relevant to the future of the Baltic Sea Region. They notably focused on:

• including young people more systematically in efforts to strengthen resilience and security;
• improving the Baltic Sea Region's competitiveness in artificial intelligence;
• countering disinformation and strengthening digital literacy;
• linking discussions on security with environmental protection;
• improving regional energy and transport infrastructure.

The youth delegates also presented the results of their working group efforts, took part in a table-top exercise focused on the shadow fleet and related regional security challenges, and attended a conference on energy law organised by the student energy law association at University of Warsaw.

The Youth Ministerial is part of the wider CBSS youth participation agenda and has been organised annually by the incumbent CBSS Presidency since 2023. It aims to strengthen meaningful youth participation and intergenerational dialogue across the Baltic Sea Region, while ensuring that young people's perspectives are reflected in regional political dialogue and decision-making.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, the delegates were notably welcomed by Agnieszka Homańska, Director of the Foreign Minister's Political Cabinet, and Katarzyna Barcikowska, Head of the Baltic Multilateral Unit in the European Policy Department and current Chair of the CBSS Committee of Senior Officials.

On youth, Poland, which currently holds the rotating CBSS Presidency, seeks in particular to promote the active and meaningful participation of young people in strategic debates, strengthen their role as partners in shaping the future of the region, and provide space for pluralistic intercultural dialogue and joint responses to contemporary challenges.

More information about CBSS youth participation activities is available at cbss.org/youth.