On September 21, 2026, on International Peace Day, a roundtable discussion titled “75 Years of the Ukrainian Peace Council: Lessons from History and Challenges for Peace in the 21st Century” was held in Kyiv. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Peace Council, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and the National Center “Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.” The roundtable took place in a hybrid format—both in person and via a live online broadcast. It was attended by scholars, educators, representatives of civil society organizations, and international partners, including the Universal Peace Federation in Ukraine.
The main message of the meeting was that peace is not a temporary pause between wars but a long-term strategy for human development grounded in responsibility, knowledge, and values. Participants reflected on the organization’s 75-year history—founded in September 1951 by prominent Ukrainian scholars and artists—and discussed the role of civic diplomacy, education, science, and culture in fostering a culture of peace. Separate discussions focused on the crisis in the collective security system, nuclear and environmental security, human capital as the foundation for Ukraine’s postwar revival, and the contribution of Ukraine’s first President, Leonid Kravchuk, who led the Council from 1997 to 2022.
On behalf of the Universal Peace Federation in Ukraine, greetings were extended to the Chairman of the Ukrainian Peace Council, Academician Mykhailo Zgurovsky, the members of the Presidium, and all of the organization’s partners.
The Federation highlighted the Council’s contribution to dialogue among scholars, educators, civic and religious leaders, and diplomats, as well as its international forums on ecology, economics, and international relations. The organization expressed its readiness to continue working together to nurture young ambassadors of peace, build bridges between people and nations, and carry Ukraine’s voice to international forums. The message concluded with the hope that the greatest gift for the anniversary would be a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
The two organizations have a long history of cooperation. In 2009, they jointly held an international conference in Kyiv titled “All Humanity Is One Family: A New Vision of Peace in the 21st Century,” in 2013, representatives of the Ukrainian Peace Council participated in the World Summit of the Universal Peace Federation in Seoul, and in December 2024, both organizations co-hosted the international conference “Europe and Ukraine: Shared Perspectives and Values” at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. On the occasion of the anniversary, Dr. Thomas Walsh, former president of the Universal Peace Federation, also congratulated the participants in a video message. He fondly recalled his meetings with Leonid Kravchuk and emphasized that institutions such as the Ukrainian Peace Council are needed today more than ever.
The atmosphere of the meeting combined solemnity with focus. Participants honored the memory of Ukraine’s fallen defenders and the victims of Russian aggression, and the discussion of peace was free of abstractions—it was a conversation about security, justice, and the country’s future.
Following the meeting, the participants adopted the Roundtable Declaration. The document reaffirms commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, freedom, human dignity, sovereignty, and the territorial integrity of states; it calls for a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, the development of civic diplomacy, and the engagement of young people in a culture of peace. The common goal identified by the participants is a free, sovereign, democratic, and secure Ukraine, where current and future generations will have a dignified life and opportunities for development.