Ukrainian Youth Forum 2025: Youth is Here! took place for the third time in Ukraine in celebration of International Youth Day.
The event was held from August 9–10 in Lviv and will continue on August 12 in Kyiv. Youth leaders from all over the country, central government representatives, international partners, the diplomatic corps, celebrities, NGOs, and experts are participating. The main task of the forum is to develop proposals and activities for the implementation of the ‘Youth of Ukraine’ program for 2026-2030 across each sphere of policy within relevant ministries, which will help the youth stay and realize themselves in Ukraine.
During the forum in Lviv, the European Youth Capital 2025, participants (over 200 young people from throughout Ukraine) worked in teams on meaningful ideas for forming new youth policies, discussed challenges and opportunities for youth in Ukraine. In Kyiv, the final event will take place: celebrating Youth Day, meeting with the President of Ukraine, the government, international partners, the diplomatic corps, celebrities, influencers, and influential stakeholders in the field.
As of 2025, the most important (largest) investor in supporting youth in Ukraine is international organizations and their various donor projects. Even amid war and after a full-scale invasion, youth centers and spaces are developing and forming, supported by youth councils’ activities, projects, and various initiatives for youth support and self-sufficiency.
The Lviv region is an example of active youth work in Ukraine, where youth centers play crucial roles in developing civil society, education, and engaging young people in social processes. Today, over 30 youth centers and spaces operate in the region, serving as platforms for youth self-realization and conducting educational, cultural, and volunteering events.
In particular, centers such as the Lviv Regional Youth Center, MoloDvizhCenter.Lviv, and the network TVORY! create opportunities for youth participation in projects aimed at enhancing civic activity, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion. Notably, the Lviv Regional Youth Center has created the largest network of youth centers in Ukraine over the past two years, thanks to the joint efforts of the Lviv Regional State Administration, territorial communities, UNICEF, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Many youth projects in Lviv region are being implemented with international donors’ support. It’s important for cooperation to be long-term and focused on sustainable development. This will not only allow new initiatives to be implemented but also ensure their stable operation in the future. One of such examples is today’s event, which brought together youth from many corners of Ukraine and Europe.
‘Perhaps we do not thank young people as often as they truly deserve. Therefore, for International Youth Day, celebrated globally every year on August 12, we invite you to Svirzh Castle to meet active, conscious, and caring youth from all over the Lviv region. It will be a space of inspiration and new acquaintances, a place for live communication and open conversations about how to act today and keep the pace of change,’ — says Roman Khimyak, Director of the Department of Sports, Youth, and Tourism of the Lviv Regional State Administration.