Ms. Chaimae Bourjij, IYF Regional Director in Middle East & North Africa, addressing attendees during the Global Festival of Action

IYF operates through five Regional Administrations, each led by a Regional Director who serves as a senior member of the IYF Executive Board. Regional Administrations are the structural backbone connecting IYF Headquarters with country-level operations — translating the organisation's global strategies, mission, and vision into regionally relevant programming and partnerships.

Each Regional Administration is responsible for the quality, coherence, and impact of IYF's work across its member countries, ensuring that Country Teams are supported, accountable, and aligned with both IYF's corporate direction and the priorities of young people in the region.

What Regional Administrations Do

Regional Administrations perform five interconnected functions:

  • Strategic Leadership Regional Directors provide overall strategic direction for IYF's engagement in their region. They identify emerging youth empowerment challenges and priorities, define regional programming focus, and ensure that country-level work is coherent, high-quality, and results-oriented.
  • Representation and Advocacy Regional Directors represent IYF at high-level regional events and forums, building and maintaining relationships with intergovernmental organisations, international financial institutions, national governments, NGOs, and civil society. They are IYF's senior voice in the region.
  • Support to IYF Representatives Regional Administrations provide direct guidance and facilitation support to IYF Representatives across their region — including supporting fundraising, resource mobilisation, and engagement with governments and donors. They also lead the nomination, selection, and appointment process for IYF Representatives.
  • Monitoring and Accountability Regional Directors monitor the performance, effectiveness, and relevance of country programmes. They conduct regular performance evaluations of Representatives, keep IYF Headquarters informed of significant developments, and ensure organisational assets and resources are properly safeguarded.
  • Communications and Knowledge Regional Administrations maintain active communication flows between Representatives, Headquarters, and external partners. They manage regional PR strategies, oversee thematic newsletters, and report youth achievements and success stories from across the region to a global audience.

Regional Administration Structure

IYF has five Regional Administrations covering all regions where IYF Member Countries operate. Each is headed by a Regional Director who reports directly to the Secretary-General and sits on the IYF Executive Board.

Regional Directors serve two-year renewable terms on a voluntary, part-time basis. They are drawn from within the region they serve and bring experience in youth empowerment, international relations, programme management, or related fields.

IYF Regional Directors and regional-level advisers are passionate, experienced young leaders aged who are citizens of a country within their region. They combine strategic vision with the ability to lead, inspire, and mobilise — building IYF's presence, partnerships, and impact at the regional level. If you are interested in regional leadership with IYF, explore the available opportunities listed on our volunteer hub.