Arab League Chief Among Key Speakers At ‘Investing In The Future’ Conference In Sharjah

SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 18th Oct, 2018) Egyptian diplomat, leading personality in the region’s peace efforts and Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, is one of the key speakers of the third edition of the Investing in the Future, middle East and North Africa, IIFMENA, conference.

Themed "Youth – Crisis Challenges and Development Opportunities", the two-day event will open on 24th October in Sharjah.

Through Aboul Gheit’s participation, the conference aims to bring his insight and expertise to further regional discussions focussed on addressing the rapidly growing youth crises in MENA. He will be sharing key recommendations on how governments, as well as entities for the youth, should approach the development of the creative skills and life-long learning of the youth in a more relevant and effective manner.

The conference is organised by the UAE-based global humanitarian charity, The Big Heart Foundation, TBHF, which is dedicated to helping refugees and people in need worldwide, in partnership with several United Nations agencies and NAMA Women Advancement Establishment. The conference brings together many government representatives, international entities and NGOs, as well as a host of academics, international experts, press representatives and youth organisations, to shed the spotlight on the ways governments, civil society, international organisations, academia, private sector can collaborate to involve the region’s youth more effectively in consultative, policy- and decision-making processes, enabling a more inclusive and participatory approach to tackling challenges and offering practical, scalable solutions.

Aboul Gheit has expressed his firm belief in the strength of Arab communities and the capabilities of the Arab youth on several occasions. In his address at the 41st session of the "Council of Arab Youth and sports Ministers", he stressed that in order for the Arab community to advance, and the nations that comprise it, to progress, its youth must share a healthy relationship.

At the Arab Thought Foundation’s Annual FIKR Conference, held last April in the UAE, Aboul Gheit talked about the grave consequences of not educating and empowering youth while highlighting the fact that if the situation did not change for the better, they would continue to take up lower-level posts, subordinate positions and low-value jobs.

The IIFMENA conference addresses sustainable development issues of the youth from around the world, particularly in areas torn apart by crises, conflicts, wars and natural disasters. It also highlights the critical role of development in protecting their future and the future of their countries and protecting them from falling prey to extremism. The participants will discuss an array of crisis challenges, as well as development opportunities, enabling Sharjah to contribute to creating an international action plan for effective investment in the future of youth from around the world.