On 16 March 2025, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, hosted the opening ceremony of the Navruz World Youth Festival, organised on the initiative of the Committee for Youth and Sports of the Republic of Tajikistan with the aim of uniting the younger generation in the best traditions of friendship and cultural exchanges.
Delegations from 26 countries, as well as representatives of the UN Development Programme, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation arrived in Dushanbe.
The festival opening included a plenary session and panel discussions: Global Dialogue: Best Practices for Working with Youth, 2025 - International Year of Glacier Conservation: A Green Future in the Hands of Young People, and Startups Without Borders: How Young People are Changing the Economy.
The festival, which runs until 21 March, will include a Youth Forum of Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on Cooperation for Sustainable Development, as well as trips to Istaravshan, Panjakent, Khujand and Ayni District.