3rd Edition of the EU-MAURITIUS YOUTH SOUNDING BOARD : Call for Candidates

Under the leadership of the Ambassador, the EU Delegation is working together with European Member States as a coordinated Team Europe approach, Government Authorities and Civil Society actors to achieve sustainable development. With a large population of youth, the EU Delegation believes that young Mauritians should be provided with opportunities for employment, education, health and access to decision-making processes.

What is the local Youth Sounding Board (YSB)? 

The Youth Sounding Board (YSB) aims to create a space for meaningful involvement of young people in the EU’s cooperation with the Republic of Mauritius. It will enable active engagement and exchanges between young people, decision-makers, the Member States of the European Union, and the European Union itself. 

The YSB will collaborate with the EU Delegation in Mauritius on youth participation, empowerment and on a broad range of topics such as employment, education, training and entrepreneurship, food security, environment and climate change, human rights and democracy, STEM, digitalisation and technology, gender, social inclusion and health and good governance amongst others. The YSB also aims at creating opportunities for young people and youth organisations to express their views, network and exchange. 

The YSB will be a platform to ENGAGE-EMPOWER-CONNECT the youth in line with the EU Youth Action Plan (2022-2027) priorities and main objectives, which mirror the three core areas of action of the EU Youth Strategy.

How will the Youth Sounding Board work? 

The YSB will be composed of 25 young people (18 – 30 years) from the Republic of Mauritius (mainland Mauritius, Rodrigues Island and its Outer Islands).

YSB members will serve an unpaid mandate of two years and will engage in activities aiming at: 

• The YSB will play a critical role in integrating youth perspectives within policies and legislation. 

• The YSB will engage in dialogue with the EU Delegation to ensure that youth’s needs and priorities are included and make suggestions to improve support to young people.

• The YSB will serve as a knowledge hub for both the EU and the YSB Members to exchange information and share ideas. The YSB will keep the EU Delegation informed of the most important issues for young people, emerging trends, concerns, opportunities and constraints.

For this purpose, the YSB members will, among others:

• Hold at least one in-person meeting per year;

• Develop a work plan with objectives and activities;

• Discuss and deal with ad-hoc issues or requests using online tools and platforms;

• Build links with similar structures and existing youth initiatives at country level.

How can I become a member of the EU-Mauritius Youth Sounding Board? 

The EU-Mauritius Youth Sounding Board aims to be diverse and inclusive. It should bring together a range of opinions and experiences. The YSB aims to be inclusive and diverse in terms of gender, age, ethnic and cultural background, professional position, socio-economic background, abilities and sexual orientation. To ensure diversity, all young and motivated people are welcome to apply. Candidates with special needs, disabilities and in situations of vulnerability are encouraged to apply. All candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Be between the age of 18-30 at the end of the application period (30 June 2026)
• Have a good command of English and French
• Be a resident of the Republic of Mauritius 

Candidates will be selected based on:

• Experience and shown initiatives in youth participation and youth empowerment;

• Outreach and youth engagement skills and experience, including work with youth organisations and experience with youth that are in disadvantaged or vulnerable situations;

• Communication skills including language and people skills and experience with traditional and social media;

• Creativity and motivation for sustained commitment, including ideas for YSB functioning and activities.

What is the timeline? 

Applications can be submitted until 30 June 2026, by filling out the Google Form: https://forms.gle/pHJKTFegHncjRGr1A

Receipt of applications will be confirmed by email.

30 June 2026:    Application Deadline

31 July 2026:     Candidate Shortlist & Announcement of selected candidates

12 August 2026 (tentative) – International Youth Day: Launch of Youth Sounding Board - 3^rd Edition

What else do I need to know? 

In case of any question or enquiry, please contact DELEGATION-MAURITIUS@eeas.europa.eu. 

The EU Delegation might ask for further documentation and proof of information provided in the application form in the course of the selection process from the shortlisted and selected candidates (e.g. social media handles, CV, etc.). 

The selected candidates will be requested to provide a copy of their identity document to prove they meet the eligibility criteria. 

The EU Delegation will draw up a reserve list of candidates.