As the UN SDG Ambassador for Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities – I am proud to witness the unification of Central Asian youth through dialogue. In 2025, which was declared the International Year of Peace and Trust at the initiative of Turkmenistan, the Second Forum of the Central Asian Youth Dialogue “Dialogue – Guarantee of Peace” will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York within the framework of the ECOSOC Youth Forum. This is a historic step that showcases the growing role of youth on the global stage and proves the rising importance of the principles of sustainable development, peace, and trust.

It is especially meaningful that the first edition of this forum was held in 2023 in Arkadag – the first smart city in the region. Arkadag is not only a center of technological innovation, but also a model city that brings together architectural beauty, ecological cleanliness, and inclusivity. For young people, this city represents a center of opportunity – a city of the future that opens doors to new ideas.

Holding the first forum in Arkadag highlighted the inseparable link between peaceful dialogue and sustainable urban development. Continuing this initiative in New York in 2025 is truly inspiring.

We, the youth, have high hopes that new ideas will be put forward and that impactful decisions will be made in the interest of young people.

This forum is a unique opportunity to show that the youth of Central Asia are ready to contribute to global development. We call on all young people to actively participate in this historic forum – share your ideas, creativity, and enthusiasm with us. We are building bridges not only between nations but also between generations!

I wish great success to the work of the Second Forum of the Central Asian Youth Dialogue “Dialogue – Guarantee of Peace”!

Yslam SARYJAYEV

Student of the Turkmen State Architecture and Construction Institute, UN SDG Ambassador