Yurii Lomikovskyi and Mariia Kotsiurba, Ukraine’s Youth Delegates to the United Nations for 2024–2025, took part in the ECOSOC Youth Forum held at UN Headquarters in New York from 15 to 17 April 2025 under the theme “Youth at the Forefront: Driving Science, Technology, and Social Inclusion for Sustainable Development.” For the first time, Ukraine’s youth delegates were part of the country’s official delegation.
In his opening remarks, ECOSOC President and Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN, Ambassador Bob Rae, noted that this year’s Forum brought together the largest number of young leaders in the history of the Organization.
Yurii and Mariia actively engaged in the formal programme of the Forum and participated in a number of side events, including a ministerial breakfast on the work of the UN Youth Office, a discussion on youth participation in international peace and security hosted by the Permanent Mission of Portugal to the UN, and youth-led events organized by delegates from other countries.
Yurii Lomikovskyi spoke at the regional session dedicated to Europe and North America. He emphasized that in the context of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, youth are at the forefront of recovery and sustainable development through local initiatives implemented in partnership with the national government and international actors. He highlighted the courage and resilience of Ukrainian youth, who continue to act under conditions of uncertainty and constant threat—proving that multilateralism remains a vital tool for solidarity, development, and building just peace across Europe and the world.
Mariia Kotsiurba spoke at the plenary session titled “YouthLead: From Local to Global – Meaningful Youth Engagement in Policymaking and Decision-Making Processes.” She underscored that Ukrainian youth are living through war, yet remain actively engaged: volunteering, supporting communities, studying and teaching—even in bomb shelters. She highlighted the growing role of youth councils, grassroots initiatives, and youth participation in the country’s recovery efforts. Mariia stressed that for Ukrainian youth, participation is not a privilege but a necessity—and that young people must be meaningfully included in decision-making processes at all levels, from local to global.
Together with the Permanent Missions of Ukraine and Poland to the UN, UNDP Ukraine, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, SALTO Eastern Europe and Caucasus, and the European Youth Forum, the youth delegates co-organized a side event titled “Youth Partnership for a Just and Lasting Peace,” which gathered over 70 participants in a hybrid format. In an interactive setting, speakers and participants discussed key challenges to sustainable peace and developed ideas for peacebuilding through youth leadership and cooperation.
The ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025 served as a unique platform where young people from around the world engaged on equal footing with diplomats and government officials to discuss how to strengthen youth participation in decision-making and improve socio-economic opportunities for young people. Yurii and Mariia became strong and inspiring voices for Ukrainian youth on this global stage—drawing attention to the crimes of Russian aggression, sharing the lived realities and challenges faced by young Ukrainians during the war, highlighting examples of youth resilience, and advocating for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.