NTYCO Granted Special Accreditation for the United Nations High-Level Plenary Meeting 2025
We are proud to announce that the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO) has officially been granted special accreditation by the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC) to participate in the High-Level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth.
The landmark event is scheduled to take place on 25 September 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing together global youth leaders, civil society actors, government delegates, and UN agencies to reflect on progress made and challenges remaining in advancing youth rights and participation worldwide.
Achieving special accreditation to participate in a UN General Assembly meeting is a historic milestone for NTYCO and the broader Afghan youth community. It is the result of years of consistent effort, capacity-building, and persistent engagement with UN systems by NTYCO’s leadership.
Two official representatives from NTYCO will participate in the session to represent the voice of Afghan youth on the global stage, highlight critical challenges facing youth in Afghanistan and the diaspora, and advocate for inclusive, sustainable, and youth-centered solutions within the SDG framework.
Launched in 1995, the WPAY is a comprehensive strategy adopted by the UN to address the aspirations and needs of young people worldwide. It covers 15 priority areas, including education, employment, health, participation, and environment. The 2025 High-Level Plenary will assess the implementation of WPAY after 30 years and provide new directions for the next decade.
This accreditation is a powerful affirmation of NTYCO’s ongoing mission: to empower young people in Afghanistan and beyond to become changemakers, innovators, and peacebuilders. Our participation in this event will help amplify Afghan youth voices and bring forward local solutions to global challenges.
Participation of Ahmad Hewad Rahyab at Youth Speak Forum 2025Vienna, Austria – 30 May 2025
On 30 May 2025, Ahmad Hewad Rahyab, Chief Executive Officer of the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO), proudly represented the voice of Afghan youth at the Youth Speak Forum 2025 in Vienna, Austria. The forum, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), brought together young leaders from across the globe under the theme:
“Youth for Global Goals: Innovation as a Solution.”
During his intervention, Mr. Rahyab highlighted that despite the ambitious timeline toward Agenda 2030, progress on many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals remains stagnant or even regressive. He presented evidence-based critiques on the current shortcomings and urged for greater innovation, accountability, and inclusive youth participation at all levels of decision-making.
Ahmad Hewad Rahyab’s presence at the Youth Speak Forum 2025 not only elevated the voice of Afghan youth in an international arena but also reaffirmed the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization’s commitment to contributing toward the Sustainable Development Goals through innovation, advocacy, and youth leadership.
His reflections and interventions called for more inclusive global partnerships and reinvigorated actions to address worsening global trends. As youth across the globe continue to mobilize for a better future, this forum served as a strong reminder that innovation-led, youth-centered change is not only necessary, but urgent.
Why do the Taliban carry out suicide attacks?
Ahmad Hewad Rahyab, CEO of the Afghanistan New Thinker Youth Civil Organisation (NTYCO), and a politics, peace and religions researcher, discusses his recent research about the Taliban's motivations for carrying out suicide attacks, with Nokhbagan Online TV. In this one-hour interview, he reveals the Taliban's secret strategies to recruit, manipulate, radicalise and prepare individuals for deadly missions. Mr. Rahyab has worked on this research for almost one year and has explored many different sources to collect and provide authentic information to the readers. Although the research is in English, the interview has been conducted in Persian. Soon, the English version of the study and its Persian and Pashto translations will be published as an open source, and everyone can access them free of charge.
Stay tuned!
National Poetry Festival: “One Voice for Peace”
In collaboration with several active social-civil organizations, the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO) hosted the national poetry festival "One Voice for Peace" on June 12, 2021, in Kabul. The event featured fifty poets from ten provinces of Afghanistan, including outstanding poets. Approximately 300 attendees participated, including writers, university professors, cultural figures, media representatives, and civil society activists. The festival aimed to promote peace through poetry, with young poets expressing their desire for peace and aversion to war. The poets recited their works before judges, media, and attendees, culminating in selecting three top winners who received trophies, cash prizes, and certificates of appreciation from NTYCO.
Book Launch Event "Guardian Angels"
On March 4, 2019, the Kabul Garrison Command hosted the launch event of the book "Guardian Angels," authored by Ahmad Hewad Rahyab and Abdul Naser Folad and published by the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization. The event was attended by military officials, authors, professors, students, and youth. Speeches highlighted the importance of the book and the role of security and defense forces.
Afghanistan Youth Government
The Afghanistan Youth Government initiative, conceptualized in 2016, began with a comprehensive campaign through social media, TV, and radio to engage active youth across the country. Over 2,000 youths registered online, leading to written and oral exams conducted in various provinces. From these, 136 outstanding candidates were selected. The implementation phase featured two-day workshops on governance and policy-making, followed by campaigns for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, culminating in debates and elections. The program concluded with the newly elected youth president receiving a certificate of office, symbolizing the readiness of Afghan youth to take on future leadership roles. This initiative successfully fostered civic engagement, leadership skills, and a deeper understanding of governmental processes among Afghan youth.
Enlightenment Discourse: Challenges and Opportunities of Youth Migration
On May 25, 2024, the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization hosted an online Enlightenment Dialogue Program titled "Challenges and Opportunities of Youth Migration." The discussion featured Asifa Stanekzai, a human rights activist and a Master's degree holder in Economics from the University of Kassel, Germany. The program focused on exploring the opportunities and challenges of migration for young people.
Afghan Civil Society Demands Ceasefire and Continued Peace Talks
On February 3, 2020, the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO) organized a significant event where Afghan civil society organizations and citizens issued a resolution calling for a nationwide ceasefire and the continuation of Afghan-led peace negotiations. Highlighting the necessity of peace, they stressed that a ceasefire could reveal the hidden complexities of the ongoing war, paving the way for effective solutions. The movement urged the Taliban to declare a general truce, continue peace talks with the Afghan government, and resume the Afghan-led negotiations. The resolution emphasized the importance of maintaining human rights, women's rights, freedom of speech, and democratic achievements as non-negotiable.
National March in Support of Afghanistan's Defense and Security Forces
The New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO), in collaboration with civil society activists and human rights organizations, organized a national march and gathering on July 21, 2021, in support of Afghanistan's defense and security forces, national peace and reconciliation, violence reduction, and a ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan government. Hundreds of participants, carrying Afghan flags, marched through Kabul's streets, celebrating Eid al-Adha, which the Afghan government named Soldier Eid, with dancing and festivities. The march traversed various areas of Kabul, symbolizing solidarity and support for Afghanistan's defense and security forces.
Peace Carpet Initiative
On August 21, 2020, the New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO) organized the "Peace Carpet" event in Kabul, bringing together civil society activists, human rights defenders, university professors, students, athletes, war-affected families, individuals with disabilities, and other residents. The event aimed to support peace talks and end the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. Through this gathering, NTYCO reinforced its commitment to promoting peace, supporting war victims, and advocating for a peaceful and democratic Afghanistan.
Public Speaking Workshop
The New Thinker Youth Civil Organization (NTYCO) successfully conducted a three-day Public Speaking Workshop in collaboration with the Afghanistan Technical and Vocational Institute (ATVI) from June 30 to July 2, 2019. The workshop brought together over forty young men and women who enhanced their public speaking skills through various exercises and interactive sessions. At the conclusion of the workshop, all participants were awarded certificates of completion from the organizing institutions, recognizing their dedication and newly acquired skills.