In 1999, a group of young people in Sydney, Australia decided to support young people from around the world working to create positive change. The idea of OIYP founder, Brett Solomon, was to bring many of these people together at the beginning of the new millennium to share practical skills and inspiration. With the support of Oxfam Australia, a small staff team and a large group of volunteers fundraised and organised to create this massive event.

In October 2000, 250 young people attend the first sitting of the International Youth Parliament, as it was then known, in Sydney. They attended workshops, made friends, developed contacts and planned for future action and then returned to their communities to continue with their work. These young people were named Action Partners.