Junior Diplomatic Academy students met with Ukraine’s Youth Delegate to the United Nations
January 14, 2026
Junior Diplomatic Academy students attended a session titled “Youth Delegate to the UN: experience, challenges, and opportunities.” Despite air raid sirens, the threat of missile attacks, and the challenging humanitarian situation, the meeting went ahead — held in a shelter at the Kyiv Palace of Children and Youth. This alone became a powerful symbol: even in such circumstances, young people’s drive for knowledge, dialogue, and growth cannot be stopped.
The guest speaker was Yan Erl-Ruzhytskyi — Head of the Youth Council under Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since December 2025 and Ukraine’s Youth Delegate to the United Nations for 2025–2026. In an open and engaging conversation, he shared his international experience, spoke about his journey to this role, and highlighted the responsibility of representing the voice of Ukrainian youth on the global stage.
Students gained insight into how youth representation within the UN functions, the challenges delegates face during international negotiations, and why youth involvement in decision-making is especially crucial today. Yan also shared his professional journey — from studying at the Institute of International Relations at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and the School of International Service at American University in Washington, to working as an international affairs advisor in the field of regional and community development in Ukraine.
The conversation, held in a shelter, took on deeper significance. It became not only a discussion about diplomacy and the UN, but also about resilience, responsibility, and the ability to act under pressure. Students engaged actively, asking thoughtful questions and showing genuine interest in how international systems operate, as well as how to balance civic engagement, public service, and personal growth.
For Junior Diplomatic Academy students, this meeting clearly showed that diplomacy is not just theory, but a real, lived practice — one that starts with initiative, education, and the courage to take responsibility. Even in a shelter, with sirens in the background, they continued learning, asking questions, and defining their place in the world.
The meeting reaffirmed an important truth: Ukrainian youth not only have a voice — they are already prepared to carry it onto the global stage, despite the challenges facing their country.
