UAE Reviews Efforts To Empower Youth At UN Economic And Social Council's Annual Youth Forum

The UAE invited the international community to share perspectives on action-focused commitments on the role of youth to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in a post-COVID-19 world and to maintain the ongoing dialogue between youth and decision-makers at the UN.

Speaking to more than 10,000 participants via a video statement at the interactive ministerial roundtable of the UN Economic and Social Council’s (UNECOSOC) annual Youth Forum, Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth, said, "We are here today because we believe the world’s best sequel is one where youth are the authors and co-authors of the future we will inherit."

Al Mazrui highlighted the ways the UAE has moved the dial forward in empowering young people and promoting their participation in decision-making across the nation. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, she also noted that leadership listened to the views of young people and acted.

On the eve of the Forum, the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN and the UAE Ministry of Interior, together with the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, co-hosted an event on the sidelines of the Youth Forum on vulnerable youth in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Dana Al Marzouqi outlined ways the UAE is protecting and empowering young people at home.

In its ten-year history, the UNECOSOC Youth Forum has evolved into a dynamic space for a candid dialogue among Member States and young leaders from around the world on solutions to address pressing global challenges, as well as scaling up efforts for youth engagement in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The delegation also included the UAE’s youth delegates to the UN, Nouf Ismail and Mohamed Alwahedi.