The UN ECOSOC Youth Forum—the largest platform for dialogue where young people from around the world help shape the global agenda—has concluded in New York. At the forum, Russia presented successful practices for supporting young people’s self-realization in the country and organized a side event dedicated to the presentation of the International Festival of Youth—the largest international youth event of 2026. In addition, a series of bilateral meetings was held with foreign partners and international organizations.

“We held 15 bilateral meetings with representatives of international organizations and delegations from foreign countries—Brazil, Ghana, India, China, Saudi Arabia, and other states. These discussions provided a substantive and honest exchange of views on key issues of the international youth agenda. The UN headquarters provides a particularly significant platform for such contacts, fostering a culture of open and equal dialogue. We are committed to systematic work and are ready to expand cooperation in the fields of science, education, entrepreneurship, digitalization, culture, volunteering, and sports,” noted Grigory Gurov, head of Rosmolodezh.

Bilateral meetings took place throughout the forum. In particular, during talks with Kim Song, the Permanent Representative of the DPRK to the UN, Grigory Gurov proposed including in the national delegation to the International Festival of Youth the combattants who assisted Russian troops in liberating the part of the Kursk Region occupied by Ukrainian militants. With Nilson Florentino Júnior, Director for Cross-Sectoral Youth Policy at the National Secretariat for Youth Affairs under the General Secretariat of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Brazil, the parties discussed cooperation within the BRICS framework and issues related to shaping an objective international information agenda, and with Liu Kai, Deputy Secretary-General of the All-China Youth Federation, they discussed project management.

With Alisher Sadullaev, head of the Uzbek delegation and director of the Agency for Youth Affairs, they discussed priority areas for cooperation, including the development of volunteering, digital initiatives, youth entrepreneurship, and grant support for projects. In turn, with Daniel Alexander García Guevara, Deputy Minister for Strategic and Regulatory Affairs at Ecuador’s Ministry of Human Development, the meeting participants discussed internship programs, support for youth projects, and the development of children’s programs. The Ecuadorian side also proposed working on the signing of a memorandum of cooperation.

“During the meetings, we also invited the heads of the delegations to join the International Festival of Youth as guests of honor and to help shape the event’s program. Broad international participation is of paramount importance to us: the Festival will be the largest youth event of 2026 and will bring together 10,000 young people from around the world. We view this event as a long-term investment in the development of international youth cooperation, the strengthening of trust, and the formation of sustainable humanitarian ties between countries. Special attention is being paid to expanding youth exchange and internship programs—we are ready to deepen this cooperation by creating new opportunities for education, professional growth, and the implementation of joint projects,” said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

During the Russian delegation’s visit to the U.S., a video clip dedicated to the International Festival of Youth, which will take place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, was broadcasted in Times Square in the heart of New York City.

Overview:

The United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum was held under the motto "Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road for 2030" and brought together young leaders, innovators, and activists from around the world. The program was dedicated to finding innovative solutions to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The results and recommendations of the Forum will be included in the program of the upcoming UN High-level Political Forum, where Member states will review progress towards achieving the SDGs.

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 at “Sirius”, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod in 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will be gather 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation and developing a community of young people who care about the future of the world.