Ghana proudly hosted the Global Learning Forum (GLF) 2026 from 2nd to 6th February 2026, bringing together a vibrant community of practitioners, policymakers, youth advocates, researchers, and development partners committed to advancing adolescent wellbeing worldwide. Held at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho and City Hotel in Accra, the forum attracted over 200 delegates from Ecuador, India, Colombia, Senegal, Vietnam, Australia, and Ghana, transforming the country into a global hub for dialogue, innovation, and shared learning.
The Global Learning Forum is a flagship learning platform initiated by Fondation Botnar in collaboration with Ecorys UK under the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) Programme. The initiative seeks to strengthen cross-country collaboration by providing a space where implementing partners can reflect on progress, exchange lessons, and co-create solutions that promote healthier, more inclusive urban environments for young people. Throughout the week, participants explored practical strategies for strengthening adolescent participation, improving city governance, and advancing systems change approaches that place young people at the center of development.
A Powerful Opening and Honest Reflections
The opening Welcome Circle set an inspiring tone for the forum, featuring compelling reflections from Kathryn Scurfield, Programme Director at Ecorys UK and a leading voice within the HCA Global Team. Her remarks highlighted the remarkable progress made since Phase I of the programme while emphasizing the importance of humility and adaptability in complex, multi-country initiatives. She acknowledged that reaching more than 24,000 adolescents across six countries represents a major milestone, demonstrating the growing impact of the HCA programme in strengthening youth-led action and inclusive city planning.
At the same time, Kathryn candidly spoke about the realities of implementing a long-term global programme balancing diverse contexts, managing evolving partnerships, and ensuring that learning remains continuous. Her reflections encouraged participants to embrace both achievements and challenges as essential parts of collective growth, reinforcing the value of collaboration and shared ownership.
Learning Across Borders and Building Collective Solutions
Over the course of the forum, delegates engaged in interactive sessions, peer-learning exchanges, and thematic workshops covering adolescent mental health, youth participation in governance, inclusive urban design, and digital innovation for wellbeing. Participants shared case studies from their respective countries, demonstrating how local solutions, when grounded in youth voices and supported by strong partnerships, can drive sustainable change at scale.
The Ho sessions focused heavily on field learning and deep reflection, allowing partners to critically assess what has worked, what needs adaptation, and how the programme can evolve in its next phase. In Accra, discussions shifted toward future planning, partnerships, and strengthening global networks to ensure that lessons from the HCA programme continue to influence policy and practice beyond individual project cycles.
Urban Youth Dialogue: The Public Culmination of Global Learning Forum 2026
The momentum of the Global Learning Forum (GLF) 2026 reached a powerful public milestone in Accra with the Urban Youth Dialogue. the external, public-facing day that opened the Forum to partners, city authorities, civil society actors, and wider stakeholders. Held as a dynamic extension of the week-long learning process, the dialogue transformed the Forum from an internal exchange into a broader movement for youth-centered urban change.
More than 150 participants joined adolescent leaders from Ghana, Senegal, Ecuador, Colombia, India, and Vietnam, creating a vibrant platform where young voices took center stage. Unlike traditional conferences where adults dominate the agenda, this session was intentionally youth-led. Adolescents shaped the conversations, moderated discussions, and shared their lived experiences of navigating city life, from safety and mobility to mental wellbeing, participation, and access to opportunities.
Youth Leadership at the Heart of the Conversation
The Urban Youth Dialogue challenged conventional power dynamics by positioning adolescents not as beneficiaries, but as co-creators of knowledge and solutions. Young leaders engaged policymakers, practitioners, and programme partners as equal participants, fostering honest dialogue and mutual learning. Their stories brought real-world context to the Healthy Cities for Adolescents (HCA) vision, highlighting both the progress achieved and the barriers that still exist in making cities truly inclusive.
Through interactive formats such as Cityscaping and Futurescoping, participants moved beyond presentations into collaborative exploration. These immersive sessions enabled young people and decision-makers to map everyday urban challenges, imagine future city scenarios, and co-design ideas for safer public spaces, youth-friendly services, and inclusive governance structures. The participatory nature of these activities reinforced the importance of creativity, empathy, and shared responsibility in shaping urban futures.
A Culmination Rooted in Learning and Trust
The Urban Youth Dialogue marked the public culmination of the Global Learning Forum , a moment that reflected the collective learning, trust-building, and cross-country exchange that had taken place throughout the week in Ho and Accra. By opening the doors to external stakeholders, the dialogue ensured that the insights generated within the Healthy Cities for Adolescents network could inspire broader collaboration and influence city-level decision-making.
Participants described the experience as energizing and transformative, noting that the authenticity of youth voices brought urgency and clarity to discussions about urban wellbeing. The event demonstrated that when adolescents are empowered to lead, conversations shift from abstract policy debates to practical, human-centered solutions.
When Young People Lead, Cities Listen
As the final sessions concluded, one message resonated strongly across the Forum: when young people lead, cities listen, and change becomes possible. The Urban Youth Dialogue not only showcased the leadership potential of adolescents but also reinforced the commitment of partners under the Healthy Cities for Adolescents programme to embed youth participation into governance, planning, and innovation processes.
Together, the Global Learning Forum 2026 and the Urban Youth Dialogue reaffirmed a shared vision, that healthier, safer, and more inclusive cities can only be built when adolescents are recognized as active partners in shaping the future.
Ghana’s Role in Advancing Adolescent Wellbeing
Hosting GLF 2026 highlighted Ghana’s growing leadership in adolescent-focused development programming. Local implementing partners showcased innovative approaches that integrate youth leadership, community engagement, and policy advocacy. Delegates praised Ghana’s inclusive model, which emphasizes collaboration between civil society organizations, city authorities, and young people themselves.
The forum also provided a platform for Ghanaian adolescents and youth representatives to share their experiences directly, reinforcing the programme’s commitment to meaningful participation rather than tokenistic engagement. Their contributions demonstrated how empowered young people can shape safer, healthier, and more resilient cities.
Looking Ahead
As the Global Learning Forum 2026 concluded, participants left with renewed energy, strengthened partnerships, and a shared vision for the next phase of the Healthy Cities for Adolescents Programme. The discussions underscored that achieving lasting impact requires more than isolated interventions, it demands continuous learning, system thinking, and collective action across borders.
Ultimately, GLF 2026 was more than a conference; it was a powerful reminder that when diverse voices come together with a common purpose, they can co-create pathways toward healthier cities and brighter futures for adolescents around the world.
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