JEDDAH: Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha has called on the member states to reinvigorate their collective efforts for the capacity-building and empowerment of youth.
In a message on the OIC Youth Day, celebrated on 3 September every year by the OIC family, he extended his cordial congratulations to youth in the OIC member countries and voiced deep concerns for the well-being of youth in the conflict zones.
He appreciated the diligent efforts and huge strides taken by the member states in close cooperation and coordination with the relevant OIC institutions towards the capacity-building and empowerment of youth.
He noted OIC members should enhance cooperation to strengthen the role of youth in policy-decision-making, meaningful engagement of youth in economic and social development, protecting them from misleading doctrines and violent extremism, and their progressive role in the development of their communities and societies.
He added the member states to reinvigorate their collective efforts for the capacity-building and empowerment of youth in order to achieve the goals delineated in the OIC-2025 Program of Action and the OIC Youth Strategy, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals through strengthening youth partnership for youth.
He called upon the youth to acquire modern knowledge and equip themselves with new skills, innovative sustainable technologies, and contemporary knowledge to shape a greener, cleaner, and prosperous future.
He also urged all member states to invest more in digitalization for its key role in empowering youth and achieving OIC objectives.
He highlighted the sufferings and plight of the Palestinian youth in the wake of the unwarranted military aggression by the Israeli illegal occupation authority.
On the occasion, he called upon the OIC member states to make renewed efforts to sensitize the global community to fulfill its responsibility so that safety and peace are no longer a dream for the people of Palestine.
It is worth mentioning that the 50th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) held on 29-30 August 2024 in Yaoundé, Cameroun adopted the Statute of the OIC Youth Fund to support Youth in the Sahel and Lake Chad region.
The OIC Secretary-General seized this opportunity to urge all OIC member countries to accelerate the process of the signature and ratification of the statute to facilitate its entry into force and allow this important instrument to start its work for the benefit of the youth facing challenges in the OIC Member States in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region.
