Stirring the World with the Power of Youth - Voices from the 2026 World Youth Development Forum
2026-06-17
On June 15th, Wuhan, Hubei welcomed a grand event of youth. The 2026 World Youth Development Forum, co hosted by the All China Youth Federation, the United Nations Development System in China, and the World Youth Development Forum Organizing Committee, opened here. More than 500 youth ministers, youth organization leaders, youth development project backbones, and outstanding youth representatives from various fields gathered from United Nations agencies, 12 international youth organizations, and over 120 countries to discuss the theme of "Youth Leading Development and Creating a Better World Together" and discuss the relationship between youth and the global future.
The World Youth Development Forum has been held in China for five consecutive years, with its scale and influence constantly expanding. So far, the forum has invited 6500 guests and youth representatives from over 140 countries to attend, and more than 100 forums, dialogues, training and other activities have been carried out at multiple levels and in multiple fields. Multiple outcome documents have been released successively. China has shown the world's youth that it always regards youth as a living force driving social development, and continues to use practical actions to build cooperation platforms and inject development momentum for global youth.
Highlighting the subjectivity of youth
The most distinctive feature of this forum is undoubtedly the emphasis on the subjectivity of young people. From soliciting opinions and suggestions from young people on a wide range of topics, to opening up speaking seats to youth representatives from various fields; From setting up three themed forums related to youth, namely "Creative Economy and Trendy Culture," "Artificial Intelligence and Youth Empowerment," and "Volunteer Service and Poverty Reduction Action," to the vibrant youth energy permeating the opening ceremony, every detail of the forum conveys the same message: here, youth are the protagonists.
At the opening ceremony, A Dong, the first secretary of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Youth League, emphasized that young people from all countries should bravely stand at the forefront and be the "leading geese" of global development; Working together as guardians of peace and security; Seeking common ground while reserving differences, being a "bridge builder" for cultural exchange; Embrace the world and be a 'doer' of global governance.
Felipe Paulie, Assistant Secretary General for Youth Affairs of the United Nations, stated in his speech that the United Nations' "Future Compact" points out that young people must actively participate in shaping decisions that affect their lives. What the World Youth Development Forum has done is to put this concept into practice.
This respect for the subjectivity of young people is highly consistent with China's long-standing concept of youth development. From "youth first development" to "youth development oriented cities", from policy guarantees to platform construction, China has always been creating a favorable development environment for young people. Hubei insists on prioritizing youth development, accelerating the construction of a youth friendly province and a youth development city, and helping young people around the world pursue their dreams and shine on the land of Jingchu.
As young people transition from observers to speakers, from participants to leaders, the power of youth in global development becomes increasingly powerful, and the consensus on creating a better world becomes deeper.
From consensus to action
During this forum, the 2026 Global Youth Development Project Week will be held from June 11th to 17th in Shanghai and Wuhan. The project selected over 170 youth development projects globally, covering more than 70 countries, and ultimately formed 8 project teams including "Artificial Intelligence+". These projects utilize mechanisms such as pairing Chinese and foreign mentors, expert guidance from international organizations, resource matching, and incubation acceleration to comprehensively assist in translating good ideas into practical actions.
This dual wheel drive model of "forum+project week" achieves an organic unity of ideological collision and practical action. The forum consolidates consensus, and the project week inspires action. The two resonate in the same frequency and empower each other in both directions, allowing youth development to truly move from ideology to practice.
This forum also released a series of important achievements. The think tank report "Chinese Youth: New Era Strivers and Global Contributors" showcases the contributions and responsibilities of Chinese youth. The "Youth Declaration of the 2026 World Youth Development Forum" conveys the wisdom, solutions, and power of youth. The third batch of typical projects in the Global Youth Development Action Plan provides demonstration and guidance for more youth development projects.
Empowered by new technologies and models, young people from various countries can seize the opportunities of the times, break down development barriers, achieve common development, and dissolve stereotypes and bring each other closer through cross-cultural interaction. This is not an unattainable ideal, but a reality that is happening. By 2025, there will be over 30 million foreign tourists entering China visa free, including many young tourists. Chinese online literature, dramas, and games have become popular among overseas youth, while movies and music from different countries are also popular among Chinese youth. This kind of heart to heart connection will undoubtedly lay a solid foundation for friendly exchanges between countries.
The river flows endlessly, and youth keeps moving forward. The common vision of making the world a better place is no longer far away when young people around the world join hands and stand shoulder to shoulder. Starting from the World Youth Development Forum, young people from various countries are writing a new chapter of multilateral cooperation and working together for the common development of humanity, which will continue to inject vibrant youth energy into promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. (Outlook New Era)
Edit:Luoyu Responsible editor:Jiajia
Source:GMW.cn
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