The BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting concluded in Visakhapatnam on Saturday with member countries adopting a Joint Statement aimed at strengthening youth cooperation and promoting greater participation of young people in development processes.
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse and Secretary, Department of Youth Affairs, Sunil Paliwal.
The ministerial meeting built on the outcomes of the BRICS Youth Summit and BRICS Youth Council Meeting held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on August 19 and 20.
Addressing the delegates, Mandaviya highlighted India’s efforts to provide young people with greater opportunities for leadership and civic participation. He said India was working towards the vision of a developed nation by 2047 and had launched initiatives to encourage youth leadership.
Mandaviya said the government had set a goal of developing 100,000 young leaders without political backgrounds and highlighted MY Bharat as a platform for volunteering, learning, leadership and civic engagement. More than 25 million young people, he said, have registered on the platform.
“Young people must be recognised not merely as beneficiaries, but as active partners in shaping our shared future,” Mandaviya said, calling for a shift from youth participation to youth partnership and from consultation to co-creation.
The Joint Statement adopted at the meeting identified several priority areas for cooperation, including education, training and skills; youth entrepreneurship; science, technology and innovation; social and cultural participation; volunteering; poverty, hunger and inequality; health, youth and sports; environment and sustainability; interfaith youth dialogue; youth exchanges; and youth inclusion.
The ministers also stressed the need to create enabling environments in which young people can develop their capabilities, participate in decision-making and contribute to addressing contemporary challenges.
The meeting called for greater support for youth-led initiatives, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as expanded opportunities for cross-border cooperation and exchanges of experiences among young people from BRICS countries.
The ministerial meeting was the concluding event of the BRICS youth engagements held under India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship. The proceedings were aligned with India’s overarching BRICS theme of “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.
As part of the programme, delegates participated in an “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” plantation drive, with each delegate planting a sapling in honour of their mother. The initiative was presented as a gesture of gratitude and environmental responsibility.
The visiting delegates also toured the historic Totlakonda Buddhist Monastery near Visakhapatnam, providing an opportunity to experience India’s cultural and civilisational heritage and its traditions of peace, harmony and cultural exchange.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Mandaviya held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. The talks focused on strengthening cooperation in youth affairs and sports, particularly in skill development, youth entrepreneurship and digital platforms for youth engagement.
The countries also explored opportunities for cooperation through youth exchange programmes, capacity-building initiatives and institutional mechanisms.
The conclusion of the BRICS Youth Ministers’ Meeting and adoption of the Joint Statement are expected to provide a framework for continued cooperation among BRICS countries on youth-related issues, with an emphasis on building a more resilient, innovative, inclusive and sustainable future.
