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UNICEF Young People Advisory Board (YPAB)

Empowering children and young people.

A group of young people sitting and standing in front of a yellow heritage building with a UNICEF signage and a tree in the background.

When young people succeed - when their idealism, positivity, and creativity are unleashed - society thrives. Youth deserve a seat at the decision-making table. It’s their right to be heard and to help shape the world they will inherit. UNICEF Thailand is committed to making that happen.

In 2021, UNICEF Thailand set up the Young People Advisory Board (YPAB) to bring youth voices into everything we do for children and young people. The members of YPAB don’t just give advice—they create campaigns and projects that tackle real challenges young people face. Their ideas are helping shape the future, as we work with Thai Government and partners to build a world where young people can thrive.

Since its creation, YPAB members have made a significant impact by driving numerous future-shaping initiatives such as raising awareness on climate change, championing youth protection through the Safe Internet Coalition, and actively contributing to education reform by creating a Youth-Led Declaration for Transforming Education.

Why YPAB is a game changer?

The YPAB is made up of a diverse group of young people, aged 14 to 24 years, each bringing unique perspectives to their work. Members represent every gender, ability, economic background, and region across Thailand.

This inclusivity powers their success as advisers. Each member has to apply to join the board, and demonstrate their knowledge, experience and passion in at least one of the core focus topics:

Illustration of a young woman with red hair holding books, surrounded by floating books of various colors. She looks upward with one hand raised, indicating enthusiasm or engagement with learning.

Education

Silhouette of a person sitting cross-legged with arms outstretched, surrounded by circles containing icons of various subjects like books, a microscope, heart symbols, and gears. These icons represent different aspects of health and wellbeing.

Health and Well-being

Illustration of multiple hands raised in the air, symbolizing participation. A hand in a gray suit, one in a yellow sleeve, and several bare arms are visible, with lines above the hands indicating movement or energy.

Participation

An icon featuring two open hands with palms facing upward, supporting a figure of a child. The child, depicted in light blue with arms raised, symbolizes care, protection, and support. The design uses bold black outlines and soft colors, emphasizing simplicity and nurturing.

Child protection

Split illustration of two contrasting environments. The left side shows a green, eco-friendly city with wind turbines, solar panels, and water. The right side shows an industrial, polluted area with a factory, barren trees, cracked earth, and smog, representing environmental degradation.

Environment and Climate Change

Illustration of a laptop with the word “Job” displayed on the screen in large red text, suggesting online job search or recruitment. The background has a light blue abstract shape.

Skills and Employability

An icon showing three smiling individuals, two standing behind and one in front. Each person is wearing a different colored outfit: yellow, green, and red. They appear cheerful and connected, represented with bold black outlines and soft, vibrant colors.

Business and Child Rights

An icon symbolizing social policy and social protection. It features scales of justice, a government building with a flag, and two hands cradling three people. These elements are connected with circular arrows, all outlined in blue over a light blue background.

Social Policy and Social Protection

A collage featuring 35 diverse individuals in various settings. They include people posing outdoors, giving speeches, holding items like books or flowers, and dressed in uniforms, formal attire, or casual clothing. The backgrounds range from natural landscapes to indoor environments, showcasing a mix of professional and casual moments.

YPAB 2025-2026

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UNICEF Thailand

The 2025-2026 YPAB cohort is actively involved in a range of initiatives aimed at building their skills and amplifying their voices. These include an annual Leadership and Advocacy camp, frequent capacity building, and networking sessions. They power UNICEF’s work in the following four areas.

  • UNICEF Country Programme: YPAB members inform and influence UNICEF's work in Thailand from the planning stage, especially programme design, monitoring, and evaluation of the country programme.
  • Advocacy: YPAB members help shape UNICEF's advocacy initiatives at local, national, regional, and global levels. For example, they advise the Royal Thai Government on future policies and initiatives, while providing the insights and creativity that fuel UNICEF Thailand’s award-winning campaigns around online safety, climate change and more.
  • Partnerships: YPAB members identify dynamic, like-minded youth groups, organizations, and networks that can join UNICEF's cause and enhance the delivery of UNICEF's programmes.
  • Direct youth engagement: YPAB members collaborate with other young people to identify emerging issues in their lives through focus group discussions, interviews, polls, and more. They share their views individually or collectively with UNICEF or the government in order to create meaningful change.

More of young people in action