Now that the workshop portion of the YouthxPolicyMakers programme is completed, we are prepared to begin the roundtable discussions between policy makers and our youth ambassadors.

In order to prepare the youth ambassadors from all over the world for the roundtable discussions with policy makers, four workshops on related topics in digital policy took place in August and September. The topics covered were: inclusive internet governance ecosystems, access and accessibility, content and media, and cybersecurity and protection of vulnerable groups online. Experts and activists were invited to the workshops in order to share their knowledge on these subjects with the youth ambassadors, who will use the outcomes from the workshops in the roundtable exchanges with parliamentarians, government representatives, and policy shapers from the private sector. The first round of discussions will take place on 14. October and will be followed by three further roundtables in October and November. The YouthxPolicyMakers project leads up to the Internet Governance Forum of the United Nations which will take place in December.

Project leader Elisabeth Schauermann said, "We have a group of extraordinarily engaged and curious young people on board for the YouthxPolicyMakers programme. There is a lively exchange between the participants – many bring expertise from various fields of digital policy, which they share with one other. Furthermore, the participants come from many different regions and backgrounds, and they are able to present new perspectives to each other through the exchanges. The invited experts were also very impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm of the youth ambassadors – we're looking forward to the next phase of the roundtables."