Published on: 2026-04-17
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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At the UN site in New York, the Youth Forum of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is being held annually, gathering representatives of governments, international organizations, and youth leaders from around the world. The Russian delegation to the forum is headed by the director of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), Grigoriy Gurov.
In an interview with the UN News Service, Grigory Gurov spoke about the key priorities of youth policy in Russia, the challenges faced by modern youth, and the importance of international dialogue on the UN platform.
UN News Service: What did the Russian delegation come to the forum for? What experience would you like to share?
Grigory Gurov:It is very pleasant to be here, at the UN site, and to have the opportunity to share the experience gained in Russia.
In 2025, a large-scale national project “Youth and Children” was launched by the president’s directive. It became a logical continuation of the extensive work already underway in the country. Russia has accumulated colossal, in many ways unique experience in the field of youth policy and work with children. This work is systematically organized and begins from the earliest age.
Today we begin with the largest children’s movement – Movements First – which is a whole range of programs and projects for children and youth. Various formats of educational projects help young people understand what interests them, what their strong sides are. These include career guidance and educational projects aimed at acquiring new knowledge and skills.
It is very important for young people to actively participate in public and social life, as well as in the life of our state. For this purpose, various initiatives are implemented – ranging from youth forums to grant competitions.
A grant is essentially an opportunity for a young person to try themselves in a new role, receive initial investments from the government, understand how to work with them, and learn to implement their ideas in a safe environment.
Russia is a country of opportunities where every young person can realize their potential. The main thing is to have a dream and the desire to bring it to life. After all, reality is essentially the dreams of previous generations realized.
In recent years, youth policy in Russia has undergone significant transformation. It has become not so much entertaining as practice-oriented. Great attention is paid to volunteering, social initiatives, and projects in which young people can express themselves as full members of society.
SN:How important is it for the Russian delegation to participate in the UN forum and share this experience on the international stage?
GG:It is important for us to talk about what is happening in Russia and to explain our openness to cooperation under the union. We are not competing with anyone – we are simply implementing our vision in the modern world.
Russia has a large number of technologies and has historically always sought to share its capabilities with those countries open to cooperation.
In addition, we invite young people from other countries to come to Russia, see everything with their own eyes, get acquainted with the culture, make friends, receive an education, maybe fall in love with Russia or someone in Russia and move to us.
And, of course, it is important for us to share our values. Everything that is realized in our country is largely based on positive and traditional values, which, as we believe, is important to preserve and transmit.
Q: As the head of a large youth department, what are the main challenges you see today for young people – both globally and in Russia?
GG:One of the key challenges today is the question of authenticity. Young people face a huge amount of information and must understand: whether what they see on the internet is reality or created by artificial intelligence.
In this regard, it is especially important to develop critical thinking. Young people must be able to distinguish reliable content from unreliable content. We see a growth in fraud and various forms of deception – this is a global problem, and it is necessary to develop resilience to such risks among young people.
One more important challenge is the erosion of values. Every people has its own traditions and cultural reference points, and today it is important to preserve this foundation and pass it on to the younger generation.
We follow the principle “do not do as I say, but as I do.” Values are conveyed through personal example. Therefore, we actively develop mentoring projects – it is important not just to talk, but to show in practice.
Young people are very sensitive to insincerity. They cannot be deceived – they see it immediately. Therefore, the task of the state and society is to be honest and consistent in working with young people.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It represents an exact report of what the source asserts and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.