‘Young people key for economic, social growth’

TDT | Manama

Encouraging youth to assume leadership positions across various fields of development is a main objective of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Ayman Tawfeeq Almoayyad said yesterday. “We aim to employ youth capabilities, while maximising and sustaining the impact of their ideas for the present and future,” said the minister. “Young people have a positive vision, ambition, energy and inspiring ideas for creative solutions that achieve economic and social growth.

This is in line with the vision of His Majesty the King’s Humanitarian and Youth Affairs representative, National Security Advisor and Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to empower young people and create young leaders able to lead the process of development and modernisation.” The minister made the statement as he participated remotely in the launch of the Arab Youth Center (AYC), in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to empower youth and support development across the Arab region. Sponsored by the AYC, based in the UAE, the first youth delegates from the Arab region will work as staff members in support of UNDP offices in Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Somalia, Syria and Tunisia, as well as the UNDP Regional Hub in Amman, for one year.

“Our vision is that Bahrain be the capital of youth and sports, therefore we are keen on joining all efforts and working together in various institutions according to the one-team Bahrain approach to empower young people and give them the promising opportunities they deserve to lead the development sectors to achieve Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030,” added the minister. “This empowers young people in youth, sports, education, entrepreneurship, scientific research, innovation, creativity and artificial intelligence.” UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs and AYC vice-chair Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui said: “It is encouraging to witness this new generation of competent young leaders standing by, ready to play an active and significant role in society and to drive the sustainable development agenda in their countries.”

She added that youth under the age of 29 constitute almost two-thirds of the population in the Arab region. “Their active engagement is imperative to enable us to contribute to achieving the sustainable development goals in our region,” she said. The Youth Development Delegates will engage directly on youth-focused development issues, as part of the UNDP’s programming in coordination with local, regional and international partners. The programme also gives participants an opportunity to receive funding from the AYC for innovative projects addressing the development needs of the youth, in collaboration with UNDP country offices, which will oversee the implementation of these projects. “As UNDP, we believe that engaging young people as drivers of development solutions is pivotal for achieving the SDGs, and enhances the impact of our development support around the world,” said UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States officer-in-charge Sarah Poole. Delegates will also gain an opportunity to network widely with peers across the Arab region through biannual training sessions and periodic activities organised through the Youth Leadership Programme.