Speech by President von der Leyen at the Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event, via video message

Dear colleagues,
Representatives of the Youth,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

For too many young people around the globe, professional growth is out of reach — not because they lack ambition, but because the infrastructure is missing.

If you live in a rural area and there are no roads or public transport, how do you get to school?
If there is no electricity to light your home after dark, how do you study?
If, once you graduate, there are no jobs, how do you build a life?

These are the harsh realities for millions of young people worldwide. And yet, it is precisely the energy, the creativity, the dynamism of youth that the world needs.

This is why our 300-billion-euro investment strategy, Global Gateway, matters.

Global Gateway is financing infrastructure projects abroad. But it is more. It is about creating integrated relationships. And it is about empowering young people, local communities, and entire regions.

Global Gateway is putting a major focus on green and digital skills. We are investing 970 million euros in vocational training and education. This means life-changing opportunities for young people.

Whether it's teaching girls and young women in Mozambique how to code, or setting up biotechnology labs in Rwanda. The future belongs to those ideas that are transformative. And Europe is committed to help train the next generation of global innovators.

Global Gateway is also investing in industrial capacity. From solar, geothermal, and wind power in Indonesia, to green hydrogen in Chile. We are supporting countries in Africa to develop cutting-edge industries.

And we are doing this with a principle that is fundamental for Europe: Local skills, local jobs, and local added value.

We want our partner countries not just to export raw materials, but to keep the benefits of processing and production within their borders. So they can then trade high-value, manufactured goods with Europe, as equal partners. 

Which brings me to my third point: trade.

We are taking Global Gateway to the next level, by proposing a tangible, integrated offer to our partners. Infrastructure investment, macro-economic support and trade – all three are part of the package. And there is a good reason to it.

The COVID pandemic taught us the risks of over-dependencies. And we have not forgotten, how Russia tried to blackmail us with our overdependency on Russian fossil fuels.

We learned our lesson. And we have taken action.

From Africa to Latin America to South-East Asia, we are diversifying our supply chains with trusted partners. Thus, we are laying the foundation for a more inclusive, connected, and resilient world economy. And we want to ensure that these investments truly benefit young people.

We created Youth Sounding Boards. Hundreds of young people are now playing an advisory role in European institutions. This means the next generation has a direct say also in the external action.

In Namibia, for example, the Youth Sounding Board advocated for more Erasmus+ study opportunities for local youth. Or take Colombia, the Board took part in discussions on mental health and access to farmland. What we champion abroad, reflects our values at home.

In my new team, I have appointed a Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness. It's part of a broader commitment to giving young people more responsibility and choice, within our societies and democracies. I will ask all Commissioners to organise their first annual Youth Policy Dialogues within the first 100 days of the new mandate.

And personally, I will set up a President's Youth Advisory Board, made up of young people from every single Member State, to advise me directly on the issues that matter most to their peers.

This is how we shape the future — together. Thank you very much, and I wish you all a wonderful day.