On April 16, the event “80 Years of Impact: Youth Contribution to the UN Goals with Nuclear Science and Technology” was held as part of the ECOSOC Youth Forum. Rosatom has partnered as an organizer of the event.
The event, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the UN and the Russian nuclear industry, included discussions on the vital role of the peaceful atom in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the leadership potential of the younger generation in addressing global environmental, social, and economic challenges. The discussion was opened by Liu Shihu, Head of Innovation Projects of the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. The views of the youth of their countries and organizations were presented by Fuad Gena, Youth Minister of Ethiopia, Asanda Luwaca, Executive Director of the National Youth Agency of South Africa, Ronald Sorriso, Brasil’s National Youth Secretary, and others.
“For 80 years, Russian nuclear science and technology have been serving humanity, improving the living standards of people all over the world. It is symbolic that this year the United Nations Organization, which also has a mission to ensure the well-being of peoples and sustainable development of the planet, is celebrating its 80th anniversary. Together with the UN and the young generation, we remain committed to making a meaningful contribution to solving the most important problems of global development. I am happy to invite each of you, who care about the future of our planet, to take part in the World Nuclear Week youth program,” said Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, in his video message to the young leaders.
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The UN Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) Youth Forum is held annually at the UN Headquarters to bring together a younger generation of leaders to discuss progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2025, over 100 young leaders from more than 60 countries around the world joined the Forum.
In 2025, the Russian nuclear industry celebrates its 80th anniversary: on August 20, 1945, the Special Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy was established. The country responded to the threat from the United States by creating its own nuclear weapons within four years, successfully testing the RDS-1 bomb in 1949. The USSR was a pioneer and world leader in the peaceful use of nuclear energy: Soviet nuclear scientists built the world’s first nuclear power plant (Obninsk, 1954), and the first nuclear-powered icebreaker, Lenin, was created to help Arctic explorers (1959). Today, Rosatom continues to develop and implement advanced technologies in a variety of industries. The state corporation not only builds nuclear power plants, providing clean energy to hundreds of millions of people in dozens of countries around the world, but also supports the logistics infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route, produces new materials, and develops and produces drugs for nuclear medicine. Three words define the leitmotif of the anniversary year: pride, inspiration, dream. Nuclear professionals are proud of the achievements of the industry’s founding fathers. They are inspired by the achievements of previous generations. They look ahead to new frontiers, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The 80th anniversary of the industry is supposed to be celebrated with a number of events, the main one of which should be the international forum World Atomic Week, which will be held in Moscow in this autumn.
