Youth Projects of the SCO Member Countries Discussed at the WYF

Panel discussion “Agora. Intercultural dialog of the SCO member countries" took place within the framework of the World Youth Festival on March 4, the day of the "World of Equal Opportunities". The events and ideas that the meeting participants condemned fit this theme perfectly - they were talking about mutual respect and the ability to conduct dialogue, the development of common projects and the role that young people play in the future of the organization today.  

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was founded in 2001 by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Later, India, Pakistan and Iran joined the commonwealth. In 2022, it was announced that the procedure would begin to grant full membership to Belarus, which at the same time still remains in observer status in the organization.

The SCO Youth Council operates within the organization, which plays a prominent role in establishing partner and good neighbor organizations. The founders of the Council were national youth organizations of member countries. 

Among the main areas of work with youth are dissemination of information about the organization, promotion of youth entrepreneurship, development of the electronic economy, distance learning, and training of specialists in various areas of mutual interest.  

“The practice of announcing thematic years within the organization has proven itself well. 2022 was declared the year of culture, 2023­ - tourism, the current year was declared the year of ecology,” noted SCO Deputy Secretary General Grigory Logvinov, opening the meeting.

He also emphasized that working with youth is one of the priorities of the SCO, and the Youth Council has become the main platform for the implementation of various ideas and initiatives. 

“The SCO­ is a unique organization, which at the very beginning of its activities announced new realities and principles of cooperation. This is the principle­ - to listen to everyone and everyone,” noted the executive secretary of the SCO Business Council Sergei Kanavsky.

Particular attention within the organization is paid to business cooperation and entrepreneurship, especially women's and youth.

“But in order to develop a business partnership, you need to take into account the mentality. That is why the business council pays attention to supporting cultural programs, this allows you to understand how to properly, for example, negotiate and take into account the interests of partners in the business process,” - emphasized Sergey Kanavsky.

According to the Deputy General Secretary of the All-China Youth Federation Liu Kai, different civilizations, emerging and developing over the centuries, have contributed to the formation of diversity, this is an integral part of human life. 

“But according to UN statistics, about a third of all conflicts in the world have cultural roots. So building bridges is necessary, we need exchange, personal meetings. The work of the SCO has been based on dialogue since its founding. This is trust and the development of cooperation. This “family” has already attracted new countries that have joined and decided to go into the future together,” noted Liu Kai.

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The World Youth Festival is taking place at the Sirius Federal Territory from March 1 to 7, 2024, as per the decree issued by Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at fostering international youth cooperation.

The Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) is the organizer of the World Youth Festival, with the Directorate of the World Youth Festival serving as the operator for WYF-2024.