“The UAE’s initiatives encourage young people to play a part in their country’s development and the progress of the entire region,” noted Her Excellency Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, as she addressed the UNESCO NGO Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today (Wednesday, May 3, 2017).

Taking part in a panel discussion titled “Setting the Scene: Youth Engagement and its Potential for Social Change”, H.E. Al Kaabi went on to remind that the UAE Government has, since the country was founded, been placing its young generations at the heart of all its policies. H.E. cited the Khalifa Fund as an example – the fund was launched by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, to help develop local enterprises.

Further elaborating on these youth-centric initiatives, H.E. discussed the Emirates Youth Council, which was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Council, the Minister explained, holds regular Youth Circles to inspire dialogue across a variety of areas for sustainable engagement with young people to shape innovative solutions for global challenges.

H.E. Al Kaabi called on the UN to adopt and expand the UAE’s Youth Cirlces initiative on a global scale, thereby providing an opportunity for dialogue for young people all around the world, where they can share their ambitions and aspirations for the future, and tackle the subjects that are of most concern to them.

“To invest in the future, we must not limit our thinking to tall buildings and megaprojects. We must, instead, invest in the youth. Investing in young citizens is a wise insurance policy for a better, brighter tomorrow,” H.E. asserted. “The youth are not only the leaders of the future; they are the ones who will build that future. Governments must put down the megaphone and start a conversation; [we] must reach out to young citizens; we cannot wait for them to come to us. We must reach them on their terms, where they feel most comfortable, and tackle the subjects that matter most to them.”

“Besides educating young people and preparing them for their future occupations, governments must also entice them to take initiative and work not only for the financial returns, but for the sheer value of it,” H.E. Noura Al Kaabi added, recommending that governments develop volunteer programmes that help them tap into the energy and enthusiasm of their young citizens, all the while allowing the young volunteers to gain invaluable experience that shapes their character and moulds them into industrious, resourceful, and altruistic citizens.