As the world gathers in Doha to discuss the implementation of policies to ensure the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Director General of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) Khalifa Al Kuwari has called for youth involvement in the developmental process.
Addressing a panel titled ‘Putting youth at the forefront: paving the way for an enabling environment for youth to thrive and prosper’ at the United Nations LDC conference in Doha yesterday, Al Kuwari noted the population explosion and the possible pressure on food and water supply as well as the environment. However, he said this could be a force for change for young people to shape the world, adding that “today’s youth is ideally positioned to take advantage of technological and scientific advancement.”
“With nearly half of the global population under the age of 24, many of which live in the least developed countries, the youth are at the forefront of combating some of the most pressing issues and challenges ahead,” Al Kuwari said.
He called for easing access to specialised educational programmes, a seamless communication flow and relative stability across many countries, providing a perfect incubation ground to grow ideas and deliver breakthroughs.
“A collaborative effort involving policymakers and young people is the most efficient and impactful way to tackle many problems, including inequalities and the intergenerational divide they face. As such, the vision and development plan for the LDCs must be forged in an open and inclusive dialogue with the youth, not as mere beneficiaries of such plans, but as true stakeholders,” Al Kuwari emphasised.
He said that decision-makers must continue to provide opportunities for young people to ensure they become the leaders “we aspire to have in the future and must allow them to tap into their full potential by equipping them with the needed skills and civil societies, businesses and beyond.”
“Qatar Fund for Development, along with its national and international partners, will continue to support and invest in the youth as key drivers and the course needed to implement the 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, especially in the least developed countries.”
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Doreen Bogdan-Martin also stressed that young people must be at the forefront of future planning if we move from potential to prosperity. She noted that youth aged 15-24 years are the driving forces of connectivity, with 75% of young people worldwide now able to use the Internet. In LDCs, 48% were online in 2022, nearly double the 2019 rate.
“We need to listen to young people. Let’s help them amplify their voices so that young people everywhere can realise their potential, they can thrive, and they can prosper,” Bogdan-Martin added.
The session also saw youth representatives across the LDC discuss how they have transformed their communities. They also reiterated the need to protect the rights of vulnerable populations, especially women and girls.
