The 37th meeting of Ministers of Youth and Sports in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries concluded on Saturday.
HE the Minister of Sports and Youth Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani presided over the meeting which brought together Ministers of Youth and Sport in the GCC countries and Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Development Affairs at the GCC General Secretariat Khaled bin Ali bin Salem al-Senaidi, attending on behalf of the secretary-general.
The ministers affirmed the keenness of leaders of the GCC countries, to advance and develop the process of joint Gulf youth work, to achieve the lofty goals of the council, which are to deepen co-operation, interconnection, and integration among the GCC countries.
They discussed the General Secretariat's proposal on the creation of unified Gulf projects in the field of youth, out of their keenness to continue developing the system of joint work in that sphere. The meeting approved the recommendations developed by the joint work teams in the youth field between the GCC, Jordan, and Morocco, in the meetings held last year. The recommendations and outcomes of the technical committees in the youth field, as well as the joint programmes, activities and events that will be organized by the ministries of youth were also approved.
The ministers welcomed the Qatari Ministry of Sports and Youth's readiness to organize a joint Gulf programme in the field of humanitarian volunteer work, as well as Bahrain's readiness to organize the third Gulf Youth Forum this year. The Planning, Coordination and Follow-up Committee of the strategic plan of the Committee of Ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC countries was also assigned to prepare the 'Gulf Youth Development Index' and develop appropriate implementation plans for it in line with the developments of the current and future stage, in line with the visions of the GCC countries in the youth field.
The ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC countries discussed a host of topics of common interest in the field of youth, most notably the structuring of the technical committees affiliated with the Committee of Ministers of Youth and Sports in the GCC countries to comply with decisions of the 150th session of the Ministerial Council. The meeting also reviewed the future work plan of the GCC Ministers of Youth and Sports Committee for the years (2024-2030).
Furthermore, the meeting approved the general framework of the Gulf Youth Day for the year 2024, which is scheduled to be organized on June 6 each year. The meeting also stressed the importance of strengthening international strategic partnerships and dialogues with countries and regional and international organizations in the youth field.
In addition, emphasis was placed on benefiting from the remarkable experiences and capabilities available to these countries in the field of youth, in a way that serves the youth of the GCC countries, to provide them with the necessary experience and skills to achieve their hopes and aspirations.
The participants in the meeting underlined the necessity of strengthening the GCC gains and paying attention to further empowering youth in economic development, benefiting from their creativity, creating appropriate opportunities for them, qualifying them and developing their capabilities and skills, to carry their pivotal role in achieving sustainable development. (QNA)
