From April 14 to 16, the Russian delegation led by Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), participates in the Youth Forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York. It is a key dialogue platform where young people from all over the world participate in shaping the global agenda and discuss the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. The delegation included representatives of Rosmolodezh, the Directorate of the World Youth Festival, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other organizations promoting international youth cooperation.
The presentation of the International Youth Festival took place on the sidelines of the forum today. Grigory Gurov stressed that the festival is one of the global platforms for dialogue and bringing together young leaders from different countries.
“At the United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum, we introduce to our foreign partners the experience of working with young people in various areas: from international youth cooperation to volunteering. We see that many participants of the UN forum are ready to cooperate, build long-term relationships, and want to get to discover our culture and values, which are the solid foundation of Russian society. Russia is hospitable and open to the world. This year, under the instruction of President Vladimir Putin, we will hold the International Festival of Youth in Ekaterinburg, one of the largest economic, scientific and cultural centers in Russia. For a few days, it will become the city of the world's youth, where young leaders from all over the world will meet. We have already received about 65,000 applications from 176 countries and all regions of Russia for participation in the International Festival of Youth, the biggest share out of them is from foreign participants. We invite active young people to join in shaping a multipolar world and building a common future based on justice and mutual support”, – stressed Grigory Gurov, Head of Rosmolodezh.
The Head of the Agency said that at the Festival venue, participants will discuss the challenges of the coming decades, human capital, technological and demographic changes. The event will bring together 10,000 participants: 5,000 foreign and 5,000 Russian representatives. A separate program is provided for children, where participants will be able to work out their own initiatives with mentors from more than 60 leading world-class companies. You can apply for the Festival until April 30 on the website: wyffest.com
The side event was also attended by Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, and Diana Mazurova, Third Secretary of the Department of International Organizations at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“Russia has always been and remain among the most active contributors to the global youth agenda, but more importantly – among the first to transform the words into actions. Another example of that is the International Festival of Youth, that represents a unique platform for empowering young people to identify global development directions based on equal dialogue and mutual respect. We are glad to see such great interest in the presentation of the Festival at the United Nations – this is evidence of the openness of the younger generation to partnership, without imposed stereotypes”, – noted Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations.
The event was moderated by Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
“Today at the UN ECOSOC forum here in New York we would like to introduce the International Festival of Youth, so as many young people would have the opportunity to discover more details about the key international event of the year 2026 – the International Festival of Youth, aimed at developing and strengthening international youth cooperation. We see that the demand for honest dialogue and joint development is enormous. The Festival will become a space for the exchange of ideas, the search for joint solutions and the creation of projects that will determine the future. We expect it to bring together active, talented young people who are ready for open interaction and joint development”, – said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
The presentation of the Festival evoked a lively response from the audience: participants from different countries actively asked questions, discussed the formats of participation and shared their vision of the role of youth in the development of international cooperation.
"I believe that the International Festival of Youth definitely is a large-scale and important event. It offers a variety of directions, and each participant can choose what suits their interests and hobbies. This is a great opportunity for young people to do what is close to them and understand themselves better. I think that holding such large events for young people from all over the world is extremely important. This idea is often discussed, but it is true: youth is the future, and it has great potential, so it is important to empower young people and help them find the right path," Ethan Lowe from the USA shared his impressions.
Bernice May from Canada noted that the International Festival of Youth gives young people a unique opportunity to engage in dialogue and openly talk about what is really important to them.
"I think the International Festival of Youth is a very interesting and promising idea, because such events give young people the opportunity to communicate, exchange thoughts and discuss important ideas. I would like to visit Ekaterinburg to see Russia, discover the culture and the opportunities that exist for young people in your country. I believe that it is young people who bring a fresh perspective to the world: despite the existing frameworks and standards, young people often have fresh ideas – and they are ultimately able to change the future of society," said Alex Zhu, a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from China.
The participants of the ECOSOC Youth Forum in New York also noted that the International Festival of Youth could become a platform for the development of their own projects.
"Today I have learned a lot about the International Festival of Youth in Russia, and it seems to me that this is a large-scale platform with many directions: from healthcare and science to education and sports, where the voice of youth can really be heard and influence change. Personally, I would be interested in participating by developing my own initiative to help promote youth ideas, fight disinformation and overcome stereotypes," said Kayla Fossey from the USA.
During bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations of Ghana, Uzbekistan, China and Uganda, the number of questions were discussed. Among them are the international youth cooperation, the opportunity for young people from different countries to undergo internships at the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, willingness to share experiences in the field of project management and develop international cooperation in the field of volunteering, as well as measures to support young entrepreneurs of our countries.
In addition, during a working visit to New York, a ministerial breakfast of the UN Youth Office will be held at the UN headquarters, where the role of youth and youth movements in achieving the main goals of sustainable development and shaping the global agenda will be discussed. The head of Rosmolodezh will also speak at the plenary session of the United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum, where he will talk about the youth support system in Russia and its main priorities, the country's experience in developing the volunteer movement, as well as tools for international youth cooperation.
Overview:
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.