From March 21 to 26, the SCO Youth Forum is taking place in Dushanbe as part of the World Youth Festival "Navruz – 2026." During the event, the International Festival of Youth 2026 was introduced. The Festival is implemented under the national project "Youth and Children”.

At the plenary session "SCO Youth – Driving Force of Sustainable Development and Regional Cooperation," forum participants learned about the International Festival of Youth, which will take place from September 11 to 17, 2026, in Ekaterinburg. The presentation of the largest international youth event was delivered by Kantemir Khurtaev, Advisor to the Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

"The International Festival of Youth will bring together 10,000 young leaders from 190 countries. It is important to note that a significant portion of participants come from SCO countries – we expect around 1,500 people. Our nations are historically linked by centuries-old traditions of cooperation, and these ties have been forged through the exchange of knowledge, culture, and mutual support, creating a strong foundation of trust between peoples. Today, it is the younger generation that is continuing this legacy. However, you are not merely inheriting this experience of collaboration, you are reinterpreting it, filling it with new meaning and joint projects. We invite young leaders from SCO countries to become part of the International Festival of Youth – a space where traditions and modern ideas converge, new partnerships are born, and a shared vision for the future is strengthened," said Kantemir Khurtaev.

Meetings with representatives of foreign delegations were also held on the sidelines of the forum. Representatives of the World Youth Festival Directorate met with Shokhkhurav Ayubzoda, Head of the International Relations Department of the Committee for Youth and Sports under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Nagir Azimova, a representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan. They discussed the participation of delegations from Tajikistan and Azerbaijan in the IFY-2026, as well as the possibility of organizing international internships within the Rosmolodezh ecosystem. Additional meetings dedicated to international youth cooperation issues are also scheduled during the forum with representatives of other SCO member states.

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.