Sharek Youth Forum was originally launched as an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) in 1996. The success of the initiative led to its institutionalisation in 2004, as a non-partisan, non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO).

Since its initiation, Sharek has always performed groundbreaking in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Sharek has managed to build a broad network with youth from all over the Palestinian territories, as well as different local, national, and international stakeholders from the public and private sectors. Various programs were conducted in partnerships with ministries such as the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to list a few, in order to connect youth’s interests with governmental institutions and achieve change on a structural level.