Recap: IFLRY’s 58th General Assembly

IFLRY’s 58th General Assembly took place this June in Taipei, Taiwan! Our theme for this GA was ”Young Liberals Countering Global Authoritarianism: Ukraine, Taiwan and Beyond”. We want to thank our host organisation DPP who delivered a very well-organized and welcoming GA. This GA had everything we could hope for: democratic discussions, new member organisations joining the liberal family, bubble tea, and reaffirming the mission of IFLRY in globalising freedom.IFLRY wants to give a thank you to everyone who participated, contributed and supported this great GA!

Elections of Vice-Presidents for IFLRY:

We are happy to announce our newly elected Bureau! At our General Assembly, the member organisations elected four new Vice Presidents to serve on the IFLRY Bureau for the coming year: Daniyl Khokhlovych from Ukraine, Julie Ruby from Denmark, Marie Anezi Djie from Côte d’Ivoire, and Amparito Sanders from the Netherlands and Mexico. Congratulations to all of them! The bureau now consists of:

President: Hania Knio
Secretarty General: Tirza Drent
Treasurer: Kai Pischke
Vice President: Marie Anezi Djie
Vice President: Daniyl Khokhlovych,
Vice President: Julie Ruby
Vice President: Amparito Sanders

Congratulations to all those elected, and heartfelt thanks to the outgoing Bureau for your dedication and hard work.

New Member organizations:

We are excited to welcome several new organizations to IFLRY, who either became members at this GA or changed their membership:

Full Member

ElAdl (Egypt)

Associate Member

BNJ / MoDeL (Guinea)
Horizonte Joven (Uruguay)
Kilos Ko (Philippines)
Liberal Youth Movement (Sri Lanka)
Young ACT (New Zealand)
Young Green Liberals (Switzerland)
Youth for Change (Bulgaria)

Observer Members

Center for New Liberalism (United States)
DA’91 Jongerenforum (Suriname)
Democratic Progressive Party (Taiwan)

We look forward to working with you to help globalize freedom! Welcome to your political home.

New resolutions

At our General Assembly, delegates also took part in policy debates. You can read all our resolutions in full here. At the GA we adopted the following 8 resolutions:

Defending Sovereignty Against Disinformation Campaigns in Latin America

Condemning foreign-backed disinformation campaigns that undermine democracy and political sovereignty in Latin America. It calls for greater media literacy, support for independent journalism, stronger digital resilience, and transparent grassroots activism to protect democratic self-determination from external interference.

No Decisions about Youth without Youth

Calling for greater youth participation in democratic decision-making by lowering the voting age to 16, removing barriers to political engagement, and strengthening youth representation in public institutions. It advocates for accessible civic education, support for youth organisations, and ensuring that governments consider the long-term impact of policies on younger generations.

No Sabotage on Cabotage – Lifting the Cabotage Ban in International Air Transport

Advocating the removal of international restrictions on domestic air transport by foreign airlines to increase competition, lower costs, and improve connectivity. It calls for reform of the Chicago Convention while maintaining strong labour, environmental, and safety standards for all carriers.

Freedom to Found a Family: A Liberal Approach to Surrogacy

Supporting the legal recognition of surrogacy under clear international standards that protect surrogate mothers, intended parents, and children. It calls for robust safeguards against exploitation, equal access regardless of sexual orientation or marital status, and legal certainty for cross-border surrogacy arrangements.

Intellectual Property for a Free World

Supporting stronger international protection of intellectual property to promote innovation, creativity, and fair trade. It calls for harmonised enforcement, improved protection against piracy, digital trademark registries, and balanced rules that safeguard privacy, free expression, fair use, and open-source innovation.

Misogyny in Medicine: The Stark Reality of Discrimination in Healthcare Practices

Highlighting the systemic discrimination women face in healthcare, including underfunding, delayed diagnoses, and unequal treatment. It calls for increased investment in women’s health, stronger accountability for medical bias, improved access to equitable healthcare, and greater recognition of the specific needs of women from marginalized communities.

No King!

Condemning authoritarianism, inherited political power, and democratic backsliding, with particular reference to concerns about Donald Trump’s leadership and the No Kings protests. It reaffirms support for democratic accountability, peaceful protest, self-determination, and political systems where power derives from the will of the people rather than personal rule or heredity.

Artificial Intelligence Governance Safety, and International CoordinationCalling for binding international rules on artificial intelligence to ensure safety, transparency, and democratic oversight. It advocates global cooperation on AI standards, independent national safety institutions, investment in AI research, and protections against risks such as disinformation, surveillance, and the concentration of power.

Autistic People Deserve the Same Respect as Everyone Else

Promoting the equal rights, dignity, and inclusion of autistic people in education, healthcare, employment, and public life. It calls for improved diagnosis, greater awareness, accessible support, inclusive policies, and stronger efforts to combat discrimination while recognising the diversity of autistic experiences.

Debates, Fringe Sessions, and Workshops

The General Assembly also featured a variety of debates, fringe sessions, and workshops focusing on democracy, security, and youth participation.

One of the fringe session’s topics was “Authoritarian Power vs Democratic Resolve: Security Challenges for the Free World”, which explored how democracies can respond to growing authoritarian threats, with speakers from Taiwan, Ukraine, CALD Youth, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

We also had a visit to meet with Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. Where we gained insight into the country’s democratic institutions hearing the experiences from young female legislatosr.

One of the highlights of the General Assembly was the honour of visiting the Vice President of Taiwan, Hsiao Bi-khim. Delegates had the opportunity to hear her reflections on the importance of defending democracy, international cooperation, and the role of young people in shaping a freer and more resilient future. Her presence underscored Taiwan’s strong commitment to democratic values and made the General Assembly an even more memorable experience for us all.

Another session, “National Security and Civil Defense Capacity of Taiwan”, examined Taiwan’s approach to civil defence and democratic resilience, while a workshop on equipping youth with resilience tools gave participants practical skills for responding to political challenges.

We also had the opportunity to hear from a Member of the House of Representatives in Japan, Ōzora Kōki, who spoke about the importance of mental health, particularly among young people.

Other fringe sessions focused on youth participation in governance across Asia, the experiences of Ukrainian liberal youth during the war, Taiwan’s democratisation and civic leadership, and outlining IFLRY’s strategic vision. The programme concluded with the plenary panel “Beyond Borders: How Youth Activism is Driving the New Era of Democratic Resilience”, where youth leaders from across the world discussed how young people are strengthening democracy and resisting authoritarianism.