The world is home to the largest generation of young people in history. They are diverse, they have opportunities, but they also face immense obstacles in their lives. Young people and adolescents need to be able to make informed decisions and have access to sexual and reproductive health education, information and services.

IPPF’s journey of youth services and participation is illustrated by the timeline of events on this page. Our approach has changed radically, from ‘not turning young people away’ to providing high quality, standardized youth-friendly programmes.

Our performance of the past decade tells a powerful story of this increasing commitment to young people. In 2005, 25% of our services were provided to young people, and since then the number of services provided to young people has grown steadily. Of the 86.9 million services provided by IPPF in 2013, almost every second one was to a young person.

IPPF’s new Strategic Framework (2016 -2022) shows how the Federation is embracing young people as partners and moving to a more youth-centred approach. By expanding our commitment to youth-friendliness and evolving to ensure that young people are truly at the centre of everything we do, IPPF will continue to set an example for meaningful youth involvement. By genuinely focusing on young people’s lives and requirements, from their own perspectives, we can deliver services, programmes and interventions that are truly shaped by them, and thus relevant, inclusive and effective.

This document is an introduction for decision makers, service providers and youth leaders within the Federation on how IPPF can build on its legacy and transition to a youth-centred approach. It addresses the questions: what does this new thinking include? What does it mean in practice? How should we implement it? How should we measure progress?