Youth Shape the Future of Barents Cooperation

International cooperation and youth influence were at the heart of the Barents Road Youth Conference, which brought together participants from northern Norway, Finland, and Sweden in Luleå on November 27–28.

Barents Road is an international association composed of municipalities from Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Its members work to promote and highlight the municipalities in the region, while also strengthening collaboration between them. The association’s primary goal is to build interpersonal relationships across borders. Since 2018, the Barents Road International Organisation has been based in Luleå Municipality, which also hosted this year’s conference.

Engaging Youth in Cross-Border Collaboration

A total of 30 participants attended the youth conference and annual congress, including 18 young people and 12 representatives. Over two intensive days, youth and youth workers exchanged experiences and developed ideas for future cross-border activities. Daniel Smirat (S), Vice Chair of Barents Road and Chair of Luleå Municipal Assembly, emphasized that youth should have a voice from the very beginning.

“International cooperation is not something we can take for granted. It must be built, nurtured, and passed on to the next generation. When young people have the opportunity to meet across borders and participate in workshops like these, it strengthens not only their future but our collective ability to foster cooperation, development, and sustainable communities,” said Daniel Smirat, Chair of Barents Road.

Visits and Meetings in Luleå

During the conference, participants of the Annual Meeting visited Port of Luleå, Luleå Science Park, and Navet, a meeting place for youth aged 16–20. At the same time, Barents Road held its annual meeting, where Sara Isaksen Lundbakk from Saltdal, Norway, was elected as the new Chair. Saltdal will take over hosting the Barents Road Secretariat next year.

Inspiration from Europe

Nataliia Hammarberg, International Relations Officer at Luleå Municipality and Barents Road´s Coordinator, highlighted some of the event’s inspiring moments:

“We heard presentations from Lviv in Ukraine, this year’s European Youth Capital, and Tromsø in Norway, which will hold the title next year. They demonstrated how youth participation can drive real change.” She added:

“It was amazing to see the results of the young participants’ work. In just a day and a half, they developed concrete ideas for joint projects across our borders. This year’s conference has been incredibly valuable. We’ve had the chance to meet, share experiences, and discuss how to further develop Barents cooperation.”

About Barents Road

Barents Road International Association was founded in 1997 and today works on issues such as youth participation, cultural cooperation, and tourism. This year’s youth conference was funded by the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten and organized by Barents Road and Luleå Municipality.

Source: Vårt Luleå