Youth Declaration of the 2026 World Youth Development Forum

— Harnessing the Power of Youth to Jointly Build a Future of Development, Security, Civilization and Governance

Today’s world faces numerous shared challenges and critical historical choices. At this important moment, we, 500 youth representatives from around the world, gather in Wuhan, China, from June 14 to 17, 2026, and speak with common voice through the World Youth Development Forum. Amid the accelerated evolution of profound global changes witnessed in a century, we advocate openness and inclusivity, solidarity and cooperation, mutual learning and exchange. We jointly affirm the responsibility and commitment of young people in promoting world peace and development.

At present, global development remains uneven and inadequate. Challenges such as poverty, educational disparities, and the digital gap persist. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are developing rapidly and driving significant economic and social progress, while also raising new questions regarding global governance, security, and ethical norms. Despite the current era of globalization, geopolitical conflicts, unilateralism, and populism continue to impact the international community’s shared growth and prosperity. Barriers of understanding and deficits in communication still exist among different civilizations. In the face of these common challenges, we are more deeply convinced that peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit remain the prevailing trends of our time; that multilateralism is an essential path for addressing global issues; and that youth should serve as a main force in promoting global development, advancing human civilization, strengthening international cooperation, and improving global governance.

In light of these developments, we are dedicated to actively supporting the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative. We advocate genuine multilateralism and seek to inject new certainty and possibility into the world through the actions of youth. We jointly commit that we will:

I. Promote Common Development with Youth Action

Development is the pivotal to addressing global challenges. We believe that youth are not only beneficiaries of development, but also participants, drivers, and innovators of development. We recognize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a shared global framework for addressing poverty, inequality, climate change, and other pressing challenges, and believe that youth participation is essential to accelerating their implementation.

We call on young people to actively engage with grassroots communities, rural revitalization, innovation and entrepreneurship, education and culture, public health, and other fields, especially in the context of International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026). Through the combination of cross-border volunteer cooperation and local action, to allow youth to promote resource sharing and capacity building and contribute to global poverty reduction and sustainable development through concrete actions.

We urge for enhanced youth empowerment and international cooperation in areas such as digital skills, artificial intelligence, and social innovation. We should bridge the digital divide and enable more young people to share the opportunities brought by technological advancement, support youth-led exploration of AI applications in educational equity, healthcare improvement, and climate governance, and ensure that technology serves the common good.

We advocate strengthening global development partnerships and encouraging youth from all countries to engage in exchanges and cooperation on green development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and scientific and technological collaboration. Through extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, we can improve development resilience and build collective strength for the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

II. Foster Mutual Learning among Civilizations through Openness and Inclusiveness

Civilizations become more vibrant through exchange and richer through mutual learning. We believe that youth should serve as an important bridge for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, jointly uphold the common values of humanity, and advance equal dialogue, mutual respect, and harmonious coexistence among different civilizations.

We advocate supporting youth participation in digital content creation, cultural innovation, and cross-cultural cooperation, improving the ecosystem for youth cultural innovation, promoting the sustainable development of cultural and creative industries, and encouraging more young people to become creators, communicators, and guardians of culture.

We call for the strengthening of international youth exchange platforms to help young people from different countries reduce discrimination through understanding and respect, enhance mutual awareness and recognition through communication and dialogue, and promote harmonious coexistence among civilizations with a more open mindset, injecting youthful vitality into the development of world civilizations.

III. Safeguard Common Security through Unity and Cooperation

In the face of an increasingly complex and volatile international security environment, peace and stability have become ever more precious. We believe that youth should be an important force for safeguarding peace, promoting solidarity, and enhancing mutual trust.

We advocate the active participation of youth from all countries in global security cooperation. In response to the shared challenges of climate change, public health, food security, energy security, cybersecurity, and biosecurity, young people should responsibility for safeguarding the future of peaceful human development.

We call for adherence to a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, resolving differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and opposing bloc confrontation, zero-sum thinking, and attempts to create division. Youth should actively engage in international exchanges and cooperation thereby fostering communication and friendship between nations.

IV. Advance Global Governance through Youth Participation

Global challenges require global responses. We believe that youth should play a more active role in improving global governance systems and promoting a more just and equitable framework of global governance.

We advocate further expanding opportunities for youth participation in international affairs, improving platforms and mechanisms for youth engagement in global governance, and providing more opportunities for exchange, cooperation, and participation in international agendas so that youth voices can be more broadly represented in global decision-making processes.

We advocate for the preservation of the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, while adhering to genuine multilateralism. Young people from different countries should share experiences and build consensus, enhancing global governance capacity through equal consultation and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The significance of this declaration lies not only in reaching consensus, but also in the initiation of action.

We call on governments, educational institutions, youth organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders around the world to create a more open and supportive environment for youth participation in global development by providing institutional guarantees, access to resources, and platform opportunities.

We encourage young people worldwide to take on responsibilities with greater courage and commitment. Whether in communities, localities, nations, or on the international stage, youth should begin with small actions, seek solutions to real-world challenges, build trust through cooperation, and demonstrate value through action.

Youth are not bystanders to the currents of history. Youth are pioneers riding the waves of great transformation.

We will be guided by responsibility, advance through cooperation, and provide solutions with action in promoting comprehensive progress in development, security, civilization, and governance. We have the opportunity to write a defining chapter for our generation and contribute the indispensable strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.