Y20 2026 in Washington: Joint demands to the G20

The German delegation in the Y20 process

Led by Alisan Yasar, who represented the ‘Fragility, Conflict and Violence’ track, the German delegation contributed to all five thematic areas. Dörthe Winkler negotiated on ‘Energy Security, Energy Transition, Renewable Resources and Forest Management’, Jannik Kiesel in the ‘Innovation and Digital Transformation’ track, Finja-Lee Bethke on ‘Global Economy and Job Creation’, and Lisa Mastiaux in the ‘Food Security and Global Health’ track.

Among other things, the DNK delegation succeeded in enshrining the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, the gender health gap and the demand for access to energy as a human right in the joint communiqué.
 

Four days of dialogue and political negotiations

The summit in Washington marked the conclusion of the preliminary negotiations that had been ongoing since May. Following the delegates’ arrival and an initial opportunity for the delegations to get to know one another, the focus shifted to several intensive rounds of negotiations across the five tracks. These were complemented by expert roundtables and panel discussions on international challenges – ranging from peace and security, through energy and the economy, to digitalisation and global health.

Even outside the negotiations, the programme provided opportunities for dialogue and networking, including at events at the Aspen Institute and during discussions with experts from the worlds of politics and civil society. On 13 August, the negotiations entered their final phase: the delegates discussed the remaining outstanding issues and voted on the joint final communiqué.

On the final day of the summit, the German delegation also handed over the adopted communiqué to the German Embassy in Washington, D.C. A closing programme entitled ‘From Consensus to Action’ focused on how the Y20’s demands can be incorporated into the ongoing G20 process.

Joint demands to the G20

The adopted communiqué brings together the recommendations from the five tracks addressed to the G20. A key focus is on an environmentally and socially just energy transition: energy should be affordable and accessible, and affected groups, including young people, should be involved in shaping the transition. The communiqué also explicitly calls for access to energy to be recognised as a fundamental human right.

The G20 countries are also called upon to strengthen the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, including through national action plans and the mandatory involvement of young people in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. In the health sector, the communiqué calls for more research into women’s health and gender-disaggregated health data in order to reduce existing inequalities.

With this joint communiqué, the delegates are now bringing their perspectives into the wider G20 process. The aim remains to ensure that young people are not merely affected by global political decisions, but can also contribute their interests and proposed solutions directly to shaping them.

What is the Y20?
The Youth 20 (Y20) is the official youth engagement group within the G20 and has existed since 2010. Young delegates from the G20 member countries come together to develop joint policy recommendations on key issues relating to the respective G20 presidency. These are compiled in a communiqué and addressed to the heads of state and government of the G20. The Y20 is therefore an important tool for bringing young people’s perspectives into the G20’s international cooperation.