The international contest “Leader of Public Diplomacy” was established to identify and support public leaders from different countries whose activities are aimed at developing public diplomacy. Its key goal is to strengthen interethnic and interreligious peace, build trust and mutual understanding between peoples, as well as support initiatives that contribute to the sustainable humanistic development of the international community.

I’ll begin with Part One, covering the title, general provisions, goals and objectives, and participant eligibility, rewritten into a continuous, publication-ready narrative while preserving the substance of the regulations.

Regulations for the V International Contest “Leader of Public Diplomacy” (2026)

The present Regulations establish the procedures governing the preparation and implementation of the V International Contest “Leader of Public Diplomacy” for the year 2026. The Contest is organized by the International Union of Non-Governmental Organizations “World Peoples Assembly” in partnership with the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization “World Public Summit.”

The Contest is co-organized by a broad international coalition of institutions and organizations from different regions of the world. These include the SCO People’s Diplomacy Center in Uzbekistan, the International Humanitarian Organization “Respect India,” Al-Mamoun University College in Iraq, the Central Union of Workers in Brazil (CTB), the Her Voice Foundation in Zambia, the Eurasian Partnership Association in Austria, the International Renaissance Movement (MIR FF) in France, the Russian World Educational Center in Rome, the Tunisian-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the International Fund for Assisting Children SUN RAY in Finland, MaxiFast Center for International Education in Australia, the Assembly of the Peoples of Russia, the Autonomous Non-profit Organization “Formula of Friendship” Territory for the Development of Children’s and Youth Diplomacy in Russia, KOREEDA ENTERPRISES Co. Ltd. of Japan, and the Russian Children’s Center in Cape Town, South Africa.

The official languages of the Contest are Russian, English, Spanish, French, and Arabic. Information concerning the Contest, together with announcements and official results, is published on the Contest’s website (public-diplomacy.org), the information resources of the World Peoples Assembly, the platforms of partner organizations, and various media outlets.

Participants and winners at the national stages are recognized by decisions of the respective national organizing committees. Winners of the regional stages receive their awards during the regional World Public Summits, while laureates of the international stage are honored during the final World Public Summit. Those who become laureates of the international stage subsequently join the pool of lecturers of the Public Diplomacy University of the World Peoples Assembly and become experts contributing to its international humanitarian programs. Once a participant has won at the international stage, they may not compete again in subsequent years, regardless of category, although they may continue to contribute to the Contest as experts, jury members, or mentors.

The principal purpose of the Contest is to identify, recognize, and support public leaders from different countries whose work advances public diplomacy, strengthens peace and harmony among peoples of different ethnicities and religions, promotes trust and mutual understanding, and contributes to the humanitarian mission of the World Peoples Assembly in building a New World of Conscious Unity.

To achieve this purpose, the Contest seeks to discover and encourage outstanding humanitarian, cultural, educational, and social initiatives that embody the Assembly’s mission. It is equally committed to supporting talented leaders of non-governmental organizations and public initiatives working in public diplomacy, helping them enhance their professional and public standing while integrating them into the Assembly’s growing international network.

Another important objective is to establish an international platform for exchanging ideas, experience, and successful practices in public diplomacy. The Contest also encourages the development of international and interregional partnerships among participants, fosters a professional community united by the values of peace, dialogue, and cooperation, promotes participants’ projects through the World Peoples Assembly’s international forums and summits, and actively involves Contest participants in the Assembly’s continuing humanitarian activities.

The Contest is open, international, and entirely non-political. It is conducted according to the principles of equality, transparency, respect for cultural diversity, and non-discrimination.

Participation is open to representatives of non-governmental organizations from all countries who are at least eighteen years of age and possess no fewer than two years of leadership experience in implementing public diplomacy projects. Candidates are expected to demonstrate strong leadership abilities, commitment to achieving results, teamwork, effective communication and influence, systems thinking, the capacity to initiate and manage change, a high level of social responsibility, and the flexibility required to operate successfully in changing environments.

Applicants who lead public diplomacy projects through non-governmental organizations may not simultaneously occupy state or municipal governmental positions. Together, all participants form an international community of leaders dedicated to advancing public diplomacy through dialogue, cooperation, humanitarian engagement, and mutual understanding among peoples.

Contest Procedure and Organizational Structure

The Contest is conducted through a comprehensive multi-stage process designed to identify outstanding leaders in public diplomacy and provide them with opportunities for professional growth and international cooperation. The competition begins with the submission and collection of participants’ materials, followed by national stages, regional stages, the international stage, and concludes with participation in a leadership educational course organized by the Public Diplomacy University of the World Peoples Assembly.

The World Peoples Assembly determines the dates and venues of all Contest stages in consultation with its international representations and partner organizations. Following the completion of the national stages, each country’s jury selects three participants to advance to the international selection process. Based on the combined results of the national and regional stages, each regional jury chooses ten participants—one representing each nomination—to proceed toward the international stage. The International Jury subsequently evaluates the finalists selected from all regions and identifies thirty participants who qualify for the Contest’s final international stage, which is held within the framework of the World Public Summit.

For the 2026 edition, the Contest follows a detailed annual schedule. The submission of applications and supporting materials takes place from 16 February to 31 March. Throughout the period from April to August, all participants are invited to attend a leadership educational course organized by the Public Diplomacy University of the World Peoples Assembly.

During April through June, the national stages are conducted, resulting in the selection of three representatives from each participating country. The regional stage for the Arab world is held in April in the Republic of Iraq as part of the World Public Summit – Arab World, where regional winners are selected and ten finalists are chosen for the international stage.

The regional stage for Latin America takes place in June in the Federative Republic of Brazil during the World Public Summit – Latin America. During July, the African regional stage is organized as part of the World Public Summit – Africa, where participants from across the continent compete for ten places in the international finals.

Participants representing other regions of the world compete in an online regional stage held during August. In September, the European regional stage is organized in the Republic of Austria within the framework of the World Public Summit – Europe, where another ten finalists are selected.

Between 5 and 11 September, the International Jury conducts its final evaluation and officially confirms the participants who will compete in the Contest’s international stage. Later in September, the international finals take place during the World Public Summit, where the laureates in every nomination are determined and honored during the official award ceremony.

Should circumstances require, the Organizing Committee retains the authority to modify the dates or venues of any Contest stage.

The successful administration of such a global initiative requires a well-defined organizational structure. Accordingly, organizing committees are established at the national, regional, and international levels to provide methodological guidance and operational coordination throughout every phase of the Contest. These committees consist of representatives of the Contest organizers and partner institutions, while the composition of the International and Regional Organizing Committees is formally approved by the Secretary General of the World Peoples Assembly.

Members of the International Organizing Committee are selected from among the heads of the national and regional organizing committees, ensuring continuity between all levels of administration. Each organizing committee is responsible for coordinating the preparation and implementation of Contest activities within its respective jurisdiction, while the Executive Directorate of the World Peoples Assembly oversees the Contest’s day-to-day administration.

To guarantee fairness, professionalism, and transparency, independent juries are established at the national, regional, and international levels. These juries include representatives of the organizers, specialists in public diplomacy, distinguished public figures, and government representatives. Their responsibilities include verifying that all submitted materials comply with Contest requirements, conducting expert evaluations according to established assessment criteria, reviewing the outcomes of each Contest stage, and approving the lists of participants advancing to the international finals.

The International Jury also carries out the online selection process for international finalists, evaluates participants during the in-person competitive events, and determines the recipients of first-, second-, and third-degree laureate awards in every nomination.

Throughout every stage of the Contest, participants are evaluated through a comprehensive assessment system that considers the originality of their methodologies and innovations, organizational and creative abilities, communication skills, managerial competence, intellectual preparation, knowledge of legal and scientific foundations related to public associations and public diplomacy, understanding of public policy, and overall project and information management culture.

Meetings of any jury are considered valid when at least half of its members are present. Decisions are adopted by a simple majority of those attending and are officially recorded in minutes signed by the chairpersons of the jury together with the responsible secretaries.

Nominations, Application Procedure, Evaluation, and Awards

The International Contest “Leader of Public Diplomacy” recognizes excellence across a broad spectrum of humanitarian and public initiatives. Participants may compete in one of several official nominations reflecting the diverse fields in which public diplomacy contributes to international understanding and cooperation. These include Cultural Diplomacy, Educational Diplomacy, Business Diplomacy, Scientific Diplomacy, Tourism Diplomacy, Sports Diplomacy, Children’s Diplomacy, Historical Memory, Volunteerism, Gastronomic Diplomacy, as well as other relevant fields that may be proposed when submitting an application.

When reviewing Contest materials, the jury evaluates each participant according to a comprehensive set of criteria. Particular attention is given to the relevance and social significance of the participant’s activities, the creativity and originality demonstrated in implemented projects, the scale and effectiveness of these initiatives, the degree of participation in international projects carried out together with partner organizations, the availability of organizational and resource support, the overall quality of the submitted documentation, the content and presentation of the motivational video, and the participant’s demonstrated leadership potential. Each criterion is evaluated on a scale from zero to five points, and the participant’s final score is calculated as the sum of all individual evaluations.

Applications may be submitted either directly by candidates themselves or through organizations that officially nominate them. All application materials are submitted electronically through the official Contest website of the World Peoples Assembly. Every applicant is required to provide a completed application form identifying the selected nomination, together with a detailed description of his or her activities in the field of public diplomacy. This description should not exceed five pages and must follow the formatting requirements established by the Regulations.

Applicants must also submit a motivational video, or provide a downloadable link to it, illustrating their public diplomacy activities. The video should not exceed three minutes in length. In addition, every application must include at least two letters of recommendation or support and a signed consent authorizing the processing of personal data.

Participants who submit a complete package of required documents are admitted to the national or regional stages of the Contest. Following the completion of these stages, up to one hundred participants may be selected, from whom the International Jury ultimately chooses thirty finalists for participation in the international stage of the Contest.

Documents submitted to the Contest become part of the official competition archive and are neither reviewed individually upon request nor returned to applicants. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to exclude participants from the Contest in cases involving forged documents, knowingly false information, criminal records or ongoing criminal investigations, publication of false or defamatory information concerning the Contest or its participants, or failure to confirm the authenticity of submitted information when requested by the Organizing Committee.

Questions concerning the organization or implementation of the Contest may be directed to the Executive Directorate of the World Peoples Assembly through the official email address published in the Regulations.

The international stage of the Contest concludes with the final evaluation conducted by the International Jury. Based on participants’ performance during the in-person competitive events, laureates are selected in each nomination. Winners receive First-, Second-, or Third-Degree Diplomas together with commemorative badges bearing the Contest’s official symbols and valuable prizes recognizing their achievements.

To ensure equal opportunities for participants from around the world, the organizers undertake to cover the travel expenses of all international-stage participants, including transportation to and from the venue, hotel accommodation, and meals throughout the period of the final events.

In addition to these distinctions, laureates receive international recognition through inclusion in the publicly accessible database of Public Diplomacy Leaders maintained on the Contest’s official website. Their profiles present their principal projects and achievements, allowing governments, international organizations, academic institutions, and civil society partners to identify leading practitioners in the field of public diplomacy. Participants in the international stage are also invited to contribute as speakers and experts to the platforms and events of the World Public Summit.

The official application form requests comprehensive information concerning each participant, including personal details, passport or identity information, nationality, contact information, education, employment, awards, organizational affiliation, social media presence, and the three principal achievements accomplished in the field of public diplomacy during the previous three years. Applicants are further invited to explain what leadership means to them personally and to submit a motivational video answering three essential questions: why they wish to participate in the Contest, which projects they are developing, and what results they have already achieved.

Participation in the Contest also requires applicants to provide written consent for the processing of personal data. This consent authorizes the World Peoples Assembly to collect, store, process, and use personal information solely for purposes connected with organizing and administering the Contest, communicating with participants, verifying eligibility, ensuring security, and informing participants about Contest activities and related events. The processing of personal data includes identification information, employment history, educational background, qualifications, awards, contact details, social media identifiers, photographs, and video materials submitted during the application process.

The Assembly may entrust the processing of personal data to authorized third parties, provided they observe the same standards of confidentiality and legal protection required by the Regulations. Participants undertake not to publish on the Contest website any information that violates the legislation of the Russian Federation or infringes upon the rights of other individuals. They also agree to notify the Assembly of any changes to their personal information during the period of participation.

Consent for personal data processing remains valid until officially withdrawn in writing by the participant. Applicants acknowledge that withdrawal of consent may make continued participation in the Contest impossible. The World Peoples Assembly processes all personal data in accordance with applicable legislation and provides such information to competent state authorities only when legally required.

Through these Regulations, the V International Contest “Leader of Public Diplomacy” establishes a comprehensive international framework for identifying, supporting, and promoting outstanding public leaders whose initiatives strengthen dialogue among civilizations, encourage humanitarian cooperation, and contribute to building a more peaceful, united, and sustainable world.