On October 13, Moscow hosted the official opening ceremony of the International Youth Forum of the CIS Member States on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Participants were greeted by Grigory Petushkov, the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Russia. He noted that the Sustainable Development Goals are exciting for young people and truly in demand in all CIS countries.
Grigory Petushkov recalled the Strategy for International Youth Cooperation signed annually by the Heads of the CIS states. This Strategy is being developed by the CIS Youth Council. The opening International Forum is part of large systemic plans for cooperation in the field of creativity, sports, science in the Commonwealth space.
Olga Negrova, the Deputy Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, called for joining efforts to develop scientific and creative potential of youth of the CIS countries.
“So that everyone following the results of the forum can acquire something new for themselves, make interesting projects in their countries. The Ministry hopes for the development of further cooperation, the establishment of partnerships,” she stressed.
Alexander Kodlubai, the Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus noted that today young people are actively involved in new socio-political, cultural and economic relations, play a decisive role in maintaining friendship and stability in the modern world. With the necessary skills and opportunities to reach their potential youth can be the driving force behind the promotion of peace and security.
“What the planet will be like tomorrow is up to you. The participation of young people in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is crucial, this is the initiative of each of you, your active citizenship,” he said.
According to him, the purpose of SDG Youth Ambassadors is to be ahead, see further and think deeper. This is the motto of a modern young, educated, successful man.
“In the Commonwealth countries today all conditions have been created for the inclusion of young people in the economic, political and cultural life of society. I am sure that the projects and ideas you are implementing will facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Commonwealth,” Alexander Kodlubay concluded.
Tatyana Minchenko, the Deputy Head of the Department for Youth Affairs of the Main Department of Educational Work and Youth Policy of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, admitted she was extremely pleased to become part of the team that came to the forum.
“We are promoting not only the Sustainable Development Goals themselves. We are also promoting young people who can make sure that the SDGs are achieved by dramatic leaps,” she said.
According to Tatyana Minchenko, the third composition of SDG Youth Ambassadors is already operating in Belarus. These are people who not only promote the Sustainable Development Goals in their country, but go to the international level.
“I hope during the forum we will not only be able to present our projects, find associates for ourselves, people who will help implement ideas in the Commonwealth space,” the speaker added.
A video message from Alexei Borisov, the First Deputy Chairman of the United Nations Association of Russia, was heard at the forum site. He said that the United Nations Association of Russia gives an honorable place to young people in its projects including the program “Regions of Russia and the UN Sustainable Development Goals”.
The topic of the SDGs runs like a red thread through all activities of the association. The program is being implemented to bring together talented young people to develop platforms for the exchange of experience and practice. Every year in April the Vitaly Churkin Moscow International Model UN is held. Similar models are organized in other large cities of Russia. For several years thousands of Russian students and schoolchildren have tried their hand at modeling the main events of the United Nations.
The concept of Sustainable Development is a guiding principle on the international Agenda. And even in the face of a serious aggravation of the international situation work on the SDGs must continue, Alexey Borisov believes.
According to him, the UN Association of Russia directs efforts to create platforms bring together talented young people. They must receive the necessary skills to contribute to Sustainable Development. Young people are active in a variety of areas including initiatives at the local and national levels.
“Young people are future leaders who are already getting involved in understanding the processes taking place in the modern world, in finding solutions to global problems. The participation of youth is essential in shaping our future. The United Nations Association of Russia is ready for all-round cooperation and partnership,” Alexei Borisov summed up.
Vladimir Kuznetsov, the Director of the UN Information Center in Moscow stated that the forum is dedicated to the most important topic for the work of the United Nations.
According to him, we live in one dimension which is set by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda. The fundamental difference from previous agendas is that a person is at the center of it.
Another fundamental point is that the Agenda is addressed not only to governments as the main executors, but also to civil society, to all people of good will and youth, of course. To each specific person who can become a participant in all these processes and transformations. The third fundamental point is the equal importance of three dimensions of the Agenda: social, economic and environmental. Ecology essentially permeates all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
For the UN, Vladimir Kuznetsov noted, the problem of social justice and the elimination of inequality is of fundamental importance, to eliminate inequalities both between countries and within countries. It is important to create points of growth within the community. The UN tend to think that it becomes the main cause of conflicts.
“In order to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals there is the need to involve young people. We need a dialogue between communities, people from different countries especially among youth, when people from different countries, from different communities interact in the name of a common goal,” the speaker said.
He asked not to lose the friendly and professional ties established during the forum. Use them to solve urgent problems in the framework of achieving the SDGs.
According to Vladimir Kuznetsov, the youth dimension of the UN activities has acquired special significance now. In 2018 a new UN Strategy for youth was adopted. Its essence is that young people should become not only an active participant, but also the author of all the transformations taking place on the planet.
“Today young people make up 30% of the world’s population. But at the same time it is 100% of the future population of the Earth. The preservation of our planet largely depends on the mutual understanding of today’s youth. The response to the threats and challenges that are now facing all of us depends,” the diplomat stressed.
He expressed his gratitude to the longtime partner of the UN Information Center in Moscow – the National Youth Council of Russia which makes efforts to promote ideas of the United Nations, to involve young people in solving problems set within the framework of the UN actively participating in the annual ECOSOC youth forums.
The International Youth Forum of the CIS Member States on the Sustainable Development Goals brought together SDGs Youth Ambassadors, representatives of youth associations, leaders of youth social movement, young professionals, representatives of government bodies and international departments actively involved in the promotion and implementation of the SDGs in the CIS.
The International Youth Forum of the CIS Member States on the Sustainable Development Goals is part of the Action Plan for 2021-2022 for the implementation of the Strategy for International Youth Cooperation of the CIS Member States for the period up to 2030.
The forum is held jointly by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the National Youth Council of Russia and the basic organization of the CIS Member States for working with youth (“MIREA – Russian Technological University”) with the support of the Council for Youth Affairs of the CIS Member States and the UN Information Center in Moscow.
