Mr. President,
At the outset, I wish to thank Ireland, Ecuador, and Ghana for convening this meeting, and to Ms. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as well as Ms. Nynar Koul for their briefings today.
Seven years after the adoption of Resolution 2250 under Jordan’s leadership, today’s meeting offers a timely opportunity to assess progress and continue to ensure the positive role of young people in preventing and resolving conflict and building lasting peace.
Young people continue to face rising levels of violence and poverty as the number of protracted conflicts increases and the world continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But this predicament does not have to be a foregone conclusion. There are ways to help young people face these challenges.
When youth are provided with opportunities for engagement, they can become agents of positive change. The UAE is a prime example that showcases youth empowerment, as we believe that youth are the cornerstone for building the future and for the continuation of our march towards progress.
To this end, the UAE continues to support spotlighting the way youth are affected by peace and security issues, their inclusion in the peace process and post-conflict situations, while also advocating for their active participation as civil society briefers in Security Council meetings.
In that vein, I wish to make the following points:
First, institutional structures must be adapted to enable the full and meaningful participation of youth, especially on matters relating to sustainable development. The UAE continues to engage with the League of Arab States on implementing the YPS agenda and tackling the challenges facing youth in the Arab region.
Second, we need to provide alternative outlets for young people to cope with the stress of modern challenges. For our region, we have invested in the Arab Youth Center to develop youth capabilities and support innovation and creativity among Arab youth. Similarly, the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth and UN entities such as the UN Alliance of Civilization offer young people programs that help build leadership, community building, and conflict management skills. We should continue to support these critical efforts.
Finally, we need to strengthen the coordination and coherence of YPS activities across the UN systems, including by monitoring the implementation of relevant Council resolutions. As such, we commend the Secretary-General’s efforts to establish a dedicated UN Youth Office and look forward to its active engagement on this issue.
The UAE reaffirms its full commitment to the full empowerment and active engagement of youth in decision-making processes. We will continue to work in close collaboration with our partners to uphold the role of youth in contributing to a culture of peace, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence.
I thank you.
Source: UAE Mission to UN