Costa Rica is the Central American host of the World Youth Leadership Forum, presenting itself to the world as a regional example, led by the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
- Ministry of Culture and Youth and Global Youth Leadership Forum (GYLF), Spain, present the first GYLF Central America, based on sustainability
San José, May 22, 2025. Costa Rica is the Central American host of the World Youth Leadership Forum, presenting itself to the world as a regional example, led by the Ministry of Culture and Youth.
Ministers, deputies, and officials from Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Honduras, Guatemala, and France are participating in this forum, which began on May 21 and runs until May 23, 2025, in the province of Cartago.
As part of its tenth anniversary, the Global Youth Leadership Forum (GYLF)—a prestigious global intergenerational dialogue forum based in Spain—has announced an international expansion plan to organize various events around the world.
The first of these is being held in Costa Rica and is focused on sustainability. This was announced by the Minister of Culture and Youth of the Costa Rican government, Jorge Rodríguez Vives, and the president of GYLF, Jacobo Pombo.
The GYLF is a global forum for intergenerational dialogue, where prominent international figures converse with young people about the challenges they face, aiming to contribute more decisively to providing solutions for the youth of the region.
This first edition in Central America brings together 100 young leaders to analyze the challenges of a sustainable public policy agenda that proposes future-oriented solutions for governments. Young people from various cantons of Costa Rica participate alongside important youth leaders from different countries, coming together in active engagement to listen and present proposals that benefit youth.
The sessions are structured around key aspects defined by the Ministry of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica in its strategic plan for youth: sustainability, employability, and entrepreneurship.
“Costa Rica welcomes the Youth Leadership Forum with hope and responsibility because we firmly believe in the transformative power of youth. In our country, young people are the present, driving urgent changes in employment, mental health, cybersecurity, peace culture, and entrepreneurship. From this Ministry, we have made youth a living priority because we know that listening, dialoguing, and acting with them is the only way to build a fairer and more creative world,” said Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica.
For his part, Jacobo Pombo, president of GYLF, stated: “It is an honor for the Global Youth Leadership Forum to be in Costa Rica, a global benchmark in sustainability, and to work with its government, private sector, and youth in crafting proposals that ensure well-being, prosperity, and development for its society. The future of Costa Rica is guaranteed by the quality and commitment of its youth.”
About GYLF
The Global Youth Leadership Forum (GYLF) celebrates its tenth anniversary as a leading international forum. The tenth-anniversary edition will take place from October 12 to 17, 2025, at the Palacio de la Magdalena in Santander, Spain, and will be accompanied by various sectoral events around the world.
Under the theme, “Deglobalization and corporate diplomacy. The new international order,” key figures from the international public, private, and academic sectors will analyze—together with young leaders under 40 with significant responsibilities in their countries—the main economic, political, and social challenges posed by the redefinition of the international order initiated by the world’s major powers.
Thanks to the participation of national, state, and municipal governments, multinational companies, international organizations, and top-tier universities, over these ten years, GYLF has established itself as a global intergenerational forum of international reference.
