His Highness Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham bin Tarik al-Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, has reiterated the Sultanate’s resolve to continue efforts towards the execution of joint plans and programs in implementation of GCC leaders’ directives to empower youth across all sectors of action. The minister made the statement during the 33rd meeting of GCC ministers of youth and sports. Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of State in charge of youth affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Chair of the current session of the Council of Ministers of Youth and Sports of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, presided over the meeting that was held via videoconferencing. The meeting also saw the participation of Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak al-Hajraf, GCC Secretary-General.
The meeting discussed 12 clauses constituting the Riyadh Declaration, following the 40th session of GCC Supreme Council, and recommended the adoption of mechanisms to achieve advanced global rankings for GCC youth through the proper management of future plans and programs. The first clause dealt, among other issues, with the formulation of a unified database for distinguished youth projects and initiatives, as well as exploring the best international experiences in the field of entrepreneurship.
The second clause underlined efforts made to address coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. The GCC Secretariat General documented all initiatives of youth, through contact with ministries of youth and sports in member states, and published the findings in a report titled “GCC Youth During Coronavirus Pandemic Phase: Challenges and Opportunities”.
The third clause dealt with a proposal to allocate a “daily sports class”, compulsory in all stages of education, after the Secretariat General provides the ministerial committee with a unified vision to enhance sports practice across different segments of society. The preparation of sports formula has been entrusted to the GCC Health Council and the Arab Education Bureau.
The fourth clause covered the strategic plan of GCC Youth and Sports Ministers. It comprised the regulatory report of the strategic plan’s committee which stemmed from the GCC Youth and Sports Under-Secretaries, prior to its final endorsement.
The fifth clause dealt with a budget to enhance joint activities and programs. The meeting also discussed the decision of GCC ministers of financial and economic cooperation which recommends forwarding the budget to support youth activities and programs to the GCC ministers of youth and sports. The budget will be reviewed by the Secretariat General and the Youth Committee in the respective youth and sports ministries, prior to its submission to the GCC Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee.
The sixth clause was dedicated to the implementation of recommendations of youth workshops. The GCC Secretariat General will coordinate with the Arab Youth Centre in Abu Dhabi to organize a proposed GCC youth forum.
The ministers reviewed the tasks undertaken by technical youth and sports committees, which covered a wide spectrum of programs ranging from training to felicitation of youth projects.
The eighth clause dealt with international cooperation in the field of joint youth affairs. The Secretariat General has been tasked with communicating and coordinating with regional and international organisations to find joint programs that benefit GCC youth.
The ministers discussed, in the ninth clause, the member states’ short-listing their respective best performers (3rd category) in the field of youth initiatives for the year 2020. Honouring of best performers in the first and second categories has been postponed due to inability to hold the ministerial meeting in a normal way. The host country will bear the cost of honouring the 3rd and 4th categories.
The tenth clause has been allocated to a topic titled “Gold Register Project”. The general framework of the project has been approved and the Secretariat General has been tasked with preparing its executive plan. Its budget will be discussed in the next meeting of the specialized committee.
The eleventh clause deals with designating a permanent hall for the GCC youth at the Abu Dhabi-based Arab Youth Centre, which is scheduled to host all GCC activities.
The 33rd meeting of GCC Youth and Sports Ministers concluded by discussing the 12th clause of the Riyadh Declaration, which recommends that the Secretariat General will coordinate with the country which will host the next meeting to discuss the venue and timing of the 34th meeting of GCC Ministers of Youth and Sports and its preparatory meeting.
