Throughout the year, activities took place all over the world. These activities were coordinated by the Youth Secretariat within the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs, at the time based at the UN offices in Vienna, Austria. The Secretariat's director, Mohammad Sharif, was also the Executive Secretary for IYY.[1] The President of IYY was Nicu Ceauşescu, son of the then dictator of Romania Nicolae Ceauşescu