In 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day. The Assembly recommended that public information activities be organized to support the Day as a way to promote better awareness of the World Programme of Action for Youth, adopted by the General Assembly in 1995 (resolution 50/81).

International Youth Day is commemorated every year on 12 August. The Focal Point on Youth selects a theme for the day often with input from youth organizations and members of the UN Inter-Agency Network in Youth development. It also organizes a virtual commemoration of the Day. The Programme encourages youth around the world to organize activities to raise awareness about the situation of youth in their country.

Historically, young people have been the main driving force of society and played an important role in determining the future development of each state. Their role has always been highly valued in our country, and all conditions have been created for their promising activities. Great Leader Heydar Aliyev paid special attention to the youth, both during his leadership of Soviet Azerbaijan and as the President of our independent republic, doing everything at the state level to help them grow up and be educated in a healthy environment, acquire modern scientific knowledge and grow as professionals. Relevant documents were signed on various areas of youth policy, special attention was paid to their socialization, various programs were prepared, meetings were held, and projects were implemented. In short, youth policy was an important aspect of the Great Leader’s political activity.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports in 1994 by the decree of National Leader Heydar Aliyev was a significant event in the life of Azerbaijani youth. The Ministry ensures the implementation of a unified state policy in this area by coordinating the activities of individual government agencies in the field of youth work.

Following the initiative of the National Leader to organize a youth forum in 1995, Azerbaijani youth forums have been held since 1996. It also plays an important role in increasing the role of youth in society, increasing their participation and responsibility in the future development of the country, and exchanging views among the country’s youth. By the Decree signed by the Great Leader on February 2, 1997, February 2 was declared the Youth Day of Azerbaijan. Since then, Youth Day has been solemnly celebrated in our country every year.

Many documents signed by the Great Leader on youth created comprehensive conditions for more active participation of youth in the socio-political life of the republic in general, defined the goals, principles and directions, organizational and legal bases of youth policy.

The Great Leader’s policy is successfully continued today by President Ilham Aliyev and young people play an exceptional role in the dynamic development of our country. The proclamation of 2007 as the “Year of Youth” has led to an increase in the activity of young people in the socio-political and cultural life of the country. The implementation of state programs serving the welfare of young people has made significant contributions to the development of youth potential and employment. Our state ensures the activity of young people in the process of state building and in the socio-political life of the country, the potential, strength, knowledge and skills of creative youth are highly valued. Also, continuous work is being done to solve the educational and social problems of young people, to create a creative environment for them, to eliminate the social and domestic problems of young families.

The main objectives of the “State Program on Education of Azerbaijani Youth Abroad in the years 2007-2015”, prepared on the personal initiative of the President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev and approved by a decree of the President dated April 16, 2007, are to build a competitive economic system in the country and to meet the country’s need for personnel, who meet modern requirements, in terms of ensuring sustainable development, to create the necessary conditions for Azerbaijani youth to get a decent higher education, to provide increasing the efficiency and good organization of the process of expanding opportunities for talented young people to study in the advanced countries of the world.

In order to implement the above-mentioned goals, during 9 years of implementation of the State Program, the relevant legal framework was created and it was further improved on the basis of issues that emerged during the period of implementation, the opportunities were created for candidates to submit documents electronically, individual interviews were conducted for them and the reforms were carried out to improve the quality of learning environment for students.

For the improvement of the legal framework and infrastructure in the field of youth work, establishment of Foundation was planned based on the subclause 6.1.4 of the State Program on “Youth of Azerbaijan in 2011-2015” approved on June 7, 2011, by the Presidential Decree №1621.

According to the State Program by the Decree №542 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated December 19, 2011, the Youth Foundation was established under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The activity of Olympic sports complexes in our republic, the holding of prestigious international sports competitions in our country, and the successful performances of our athletes in the Olympic Games and world championships are vivid evidence of this.

The “Strategy for the Development of Azerbaijani Youth for 2015-2025” was approved by Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan under number 998 of January 26, 2015, and the “Development Strategy for Azerbaijani Youth for 2015-2025” plans to develop youth as one of the important parts that make up the social state policy, an increase in a set of consistent and targeted measures for the dynamic development of youth policy, global changes and convocations in the world, as well as new opportunities for the development of the country to develop a new strategy youth policy in Azerbaijan and reception at the indicated time.

The “Ascent” competition was founded by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated July 26, 2019, to identify and support highly intellectual, promising leaders with managerial skills and create a bank of human resources in the country.

According to the Presidential Order of 1 October 2019 “On additional measures to support the activities of the Youth Foundation of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, in order to ensure in accordance with the requirements of the state youth policy the all-round development of young citizens living in cities and regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as to contribute to the work for a deeper assimilation of the philosophy of statehood of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev the establishment of the Youth Development and Career Centre offices continues to be a success.

Projects implemented by Heydar Aliyev Foundation led by First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP Mehriban Aliyeva in the field of identification of talented youth are reliable guarantee of future of the younger generation. And projects implemented abroad and in our country by the initiative of Vice-president of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva play important role in propaganda of Azerbaijan’s successes, increase of activity of our youth and coordination of their actions.

On December 30, President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on declaring 2020 the Year of Volunteers in Azerbaijan Republic. In accordance with the order, 2020 has been declared the Year of Volunteers to promote the individual development of the youth, increase the social responsibility in them, properly use the potential of the youth for the welfare of the people and sustainable development of the country. The order cites that volunteering is the most successful format of the joint activity of the citizens, society and state uniting people around the common intention. At the same time, volunteering is a patriotism school and the example of the connection and service for the people, state and national moral values.

One of the most decisive tests for the Azerbaijani youth was the Patriotic War, which began on September 27, 2020 and lasted until November 10. The heroic sons, who bravely fought for their homeland in the ranks of the valiant Azerbaijani army, have written their names in golden letters in the modern history of our nation. Independent Azerbaijan state, putting great hopes on its youth, carries out important work in direction of their development. We can proudly say that from now on the modern Azerbaijani youth will protect and keep our national moral values, our language, our beautiful traditions, inherited from ancestors, our homeland.

Recommended literature:

1. Azərbaycan gəncliyi, Azərbaycanın gələcəyi / red. Ə. M. Qarayev. - Bakı : Azərbaycan nəşriyyatı, 2003. - 143 s.
2. Cəfərov, Həmzə Rza oğlu. Azərbaycanda gənclər hərəkatı yeni inkişaf mərhələsində : 1940-2007-ci illər: monoqrafiya / H. R. Cəfərov ; elmi red., ön sözün müəl. İ. M. Hacıyev, rəy. İ. Ə. Həbibbəyli, O. B. Sultanov. - Bakı : Adiloğlu, 2007. - 224 s.
3. Bünyadzadə, Könül Yusif qızı. Gəncliyin fəlsəfəsi / K. Y. Bünyadzadə. - Bakı : Nurlar NPM, 2009. - 256 s.
4. İlham Əliyev və müasir Azərbaycan - gənclərin gözü ilə / R. Abbasov [et al.]; red. A. R. Qədiməliyev ; ön sözün müəl. E. Ə. Əzizov ; Səbail Rayon İcra Hakimiyyəti, Yeni Azərbaycan Partiyası Səbail Rayon Təşkilatı, Səbail Rayon Gənclər və İdman İdarəsi. - Bakı : Elm və təhsil, 2017. - 336 s.