The German Federal Youth Council (DBJR) was established in 1949. It brings together 28 federal and land-level youth organizations, 16 land councils for youth affairs and 7 affiliated organizations with an advisory vote. The DBJR is a member of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth of Germany and a member of the Federal Board for Youth Affairs which prepares recommendations for the German Federal Government on basic youth support issues. 

One of the main tasks of the DBJR is to stimulate and support international meetings to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation with youth of the world. The German Federal Youth Council together with the Circle of Political Youth and the German Sports Youth Association is a member of the German National Committee for International Youth Work (Deutsches Nationalkomitee Für Internationale Jugendarbeit) which has been operating since 1963 and represents German youth organizations at the international level, for example in the European Youth Forum. 

Within the framework of bilateral international cooperation the DBJR develops Germany's youth ties with Great Britain, Greece, Israel, China, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, France and the Czech Republic. The DBJR cooperation with Russia until 2022 was carried out within the framework of partnership with the National Youth Council of Russia. The DBJR is a permanent member of the Russian-German Council for Youth Affairs and the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for German-Russian Youth Exchange.