The 2026 World Youth Development Forum, with the theme of "Youth Leading Development and Co creating a Better World", opened on the 15th in Wuhan, Hubei. More than 500 youth ministers, leaders of youth organizations, key members of youth development projects, and outstanding youth representatives from various fields from United Nations agencies, 12 international youth organizations, and over 120 countries attended the meeting.
At the opening ceremony, 9 global youth development project leaders from China, Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, and Tanzania shared their innovative ideas and practical actions to promote sustainable development. At the plenary session, heads of youth affairs and youth organizations from multiple countries engaged in youth policy dialogues with attending youth representatives, discussing topics such as development planning, climate governance, innovation and entrepreneurship, and capacity building.
At the plenary session, the initiative to support youth development was also issued to youth from various countries, and the "Chinese Youth: New Era Strivers and Global Contributors" think tank report compiled by Xinhua News Agency's National High end Think Tank, as well as the third batch of typical projects in the Global Youth Development Action Plan, were released. Youth representatives from various countries jointly read out the Youth Declaration of the 2026 World Youth Development Forum.
It is reported that this is the fifth consecutive time that the World Youth Development Forum has been held in China. During the forum, Chinese and foreign youth representatives will also participate in three themed forums: Creative Economy and Trendy Culture, Artificial Intelligence and Youth Empowerment, Volunteer Service and Poverty Reduction Action, and participate in exchange activities such as the Global Youth Development Project Week.
The forum is jointly hosted by the All China Youth Federation, the United Nations Development System in China, and the World Youth Development Forum Organizing Committee. It will showcase the wisdom and strength of the world's youth in promoting global development initiatives and assisting in the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, further consolidating global development consensus, and opening up a new era of development cooperation. (Looking into the New Era)