New York: Europe and the Arabs
Inside one of the halls at the United Nations headquarters, young people from various Arab countries gathered around a discussion table that was full of many topics and issues that affect and concern them. That session was one of the activities of the Youth Forum of the Economic and Social Council, which extended over three days between 16-18 April 2024. According to what was stated in the daily news bulletin issued by the United Nations, it indicated that many sessions brought together young people from different parts of the world, It was divided according to region or topic, as Dr. explained to us. Sameh Kamel, International Chair of the United Nations Major Group on Children and Youth that co-organized the forum.
Sameh Kamel said that one of the sessions was dedicated to the Arab region, and witnessed the participation of "a very distinguished group of young people representing different Arab countries and who spoke about the reality that Arab youth live in today."
The discussions centered on youth demands and aspirations regarding five of the 17 sustainable development goals. These five goals are poverty eradication, hunger eradication, climate action, peace and justice, strong institutions, and partnerships to achieve the goals.
The power of true collaboration
Among those who spoke in the session dedicated to the Arab region was Atta Khaled, the Palestinian-Egyptian youth, who spoke before his peers from the region’s youth about social justice, specifically in Palestine, and the absence of that justice due to a group of factors “between occupation and division.”
Atta, who is spending a few-month fellowship in the United States working in the field of social media communication, told UN News that he carried a set of messages through his participation, including “the power of real and constructive cooperation in order to support the real involvement of Arab youth in decision-making centers, starting from “The Arab intellectual and material resources are rich and we just need to work with each other.”
Among the messages that Atta brought to the forum was to call on governments and decision-making bodies to provide a real space for youth participation in developing policies, programs and plans.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, stressed in his speech at the opening of the forum that he is "fully committed to involving young people in the political decision-making process; not just listening to your views, but acting on them."
In order to deliver the messages and voices of youth, the International President of the United Nations Main Group for Children and Youth explained that they are working through these forums to negotiate on behalf of children and youth around the world, and are building alliances with Arab and non-Arab countries in order to work together to support the voice of youth and cooperate on issues. Common issues including poverty, health, climate and education.
Education is the main concern for Dina Abdel Mohsen, the young Egyptian woman who is making her way in working with non-governmental organizations in her country, and obtained a fellowship opportunity in the United States to benefit from the experience of those organizations specifically in Washington, DC.
Dina said that education is what contributes to "building an educated person who knows well what he wants in the future. Good education makes young people able to determine their field of study. There are many young people now who do not know exactly what they want to study and what university they want to attend." She pointed out that this narrows the horizons of young people and makes job opportunities “slim.”
Climate change and the region's youth
The issue of education is linked to many other aspects that affect the lives and future of young people, including the climate issue. Hala Al-Wagdani, the young Saudi woman who specializes in the field of using geology in energy transformation, brought her specialization and experience and came to attend the forum and said that she is “passionate about finding solutions with the rest of the world’s youth on how to raise awareness of the world, and its youth in particular, about the importance of geology as a science. And how can we educate young people about the climate problems they are facing?” And how to solve it through education and everyone’s participation in decision-making.”
Hala said that one of the topics that captured her interest was “the impact of climate change on women in the region,” in addition to other issues discussed by attendees, including the importance of achieving peace in the region so that young people can contribute to sustainable development.
During those dialogues and discussions, everyone was “full of feelings of optimism and a desire to bring about change,” as the young Saudi woman, Hala Al-Wagdani, explained.
This desire for change was also expressed by the young Lebanese woman, Bahia Makhallati, who works as a business consultant and has experience working with United Nations agencies. Bahia said that the forum was an opportunity to bring together the largest possible number of young people under one dome to share their ideas and talk about the future, stressing that “it is a special thing to be surrounded by minds from different backgrounds to expand your knowledge in several broad fields.”
Working for a better future for youth was embodied in the establishment of a new Youth Office at the United Nations and ensuring that youth have a strong role in the period leading up to the Future Summit next September, which the Secretary-General described as “a pivotal moment for promoting sustainable development goals and revitalizing multilateralism.” .
The main United Nations group for children and youth is playing a role in preparing for the summit, as Sameh Kamel, the official in the group, told us, through the “Coalition for the Future,” which includes not only young people, but also civil society organizations. Sameh Kamel said that there are many expectations from the Future Summit. Including, for example, reforming the United Nations system, stressing that there are “big dreams that we hope to see realized on the ground. But a lot of work is needed. Despite this, we are able to achieve the dreams that we aspire to.” One of those aspirations is to obtain Appropriate education, decent work, opportunity and encouragement from those concerned, said the young Egyptian woman Dina Abdel Mohsen, who believes in the importance of continuous growth and development. But the road begins first with “a future without war.”