Doha: HE Libyan Minister of Youth Fathallah Al-Zani affirmed the importance of strengthening joint cooperation between his country and the State of Qatar in the fields of youth, while bridging joint relations between the two countries.
This came in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of his visit to the country at the head of the delegation participating in the 54th International Youth Hostel Federation Conference, which concluded on Monday.
The Libyan Minister of Youth said that his visit to the State of Qatar is an important opportunity to promote joint Arab action with Qatar in the field of youth welfare, noting that during his meeting with HE Minister of Sports and Youth Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali during the visit, he discussed the reactivation of cooperation between Libya and Qatar in the field of youth, and the development of youth capabilities, as well as the coordination of positions at the regional and international levels, as this coordination resulted in the victory of the two countries' candidates in the elections for the Board of Trustees of the Federation that took place in Doha as part of the conference.
HE expressed hope for establishing joint cooperation between the two countries, especially with the regional and international presence of Qatar in the fields of youth and sports, as Qatar will host this year the largest global event, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which is a global forum that is cherished by all Arabs.
The Libyan minister hailed the State of Qatar's efforts, its readiness and the sports facilities that will host the tournament, as he was briefed during the visit on a number of sports facilities, wishing success for the State of Qatar in this major global event, and for what Qatar presented to be a role model in the Arab countries.
He underlined that his visit to Qatar came within the framework of activating the Libyan youth diplomacy agenda at the international and regional levels, especially since the Libyan Ministry of Youth is the first ministry to deal with youth separately since 70 years, noting that activating and re-enhancing the role of Libyan youth abroad through various youth structures, led by the Libyan Youth Hostels Association, is among the competencies entrusted to the ministry.
The visit, he said, came to promote qualitative participation in this international conference, as it is an important station in the work of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), which is one of the largest youth organizations in the world and within the framework of the United Nations system.
The Libyan Minister of Youth emphasized his country's interest in promoting joint Arab youth action, revealing in this regard that Libya is ready to organize the celebration of "Benghazi, the capital of Arab youth 2023", in implementation of the decision of the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports in 2018, which agreed that Benghazi would be the capital of Arab youth for 2022, but this was postponed for the next year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
He explained that the ministry worked early in preparation for this occasion, and a number of steps were taken and an executive committee was formed for this event to set a map of activities related to this occasion, in which will reflect the different environments in Libya, whether the desert, the green mountain environment, exploration and adventure, as well as the Coastal tourism, in addition to a set of programs related to artificial intelligence, youth, media, modern technologies, youth and entrepreneurship. This confirms Libya's readiness to receive Arab youth in Benghazi next year, he said, indicating that the Arab Youth House will be inaugurated in Benghazi as part of the celebration, to be an indication of joint Arab action and to be a commendable return of Arab activities for youth in the Libyan state. He also stressed that Libya is ready and the political leadership has given facilities and harnessed the necessary capabilities to welcome Arab youth in Benghazi, the capital of Arab youth.
HE Minister of Youth Fathallah Al-Zani pointed out that the selection of Benghazi as the capital of Arab youth came due to the cultural and historical peculiarity of this ancient city, as it contains all the social components that inhabit the Libyan soil, and it is a source of cultural inspiration. This coastal city also includes many historical monuments as it is one of the political capitals in the history of Libya, he said, pointing out that the symbolism of choosing the city for its cultural specificity will not prevent the organization of events outside the city as the visiting Arab youth will know about the capabilities, resources and industries in Libya's various cities
HE Libyan Minister of Youth Fathallah Al-Zani told QNA that the Libyan Ministry of Youth is working to achieve the aspirations and ambitions of the youth and puts on its permanent agenda how to overcome the challenges facing the youth who have suffered during the past period as a result of political crises.
The Ministry has set a ladder of priorities, the first of which is to work in partnership with the youth themselves, as it is concerned with caring for empowering and developing young people and strengthening local and international partnerships to develop their capabilities, strengthen the role of state institutions, and employ this in a national strategy, he said.
HE pointed out that one of the most important achievements that the ministry has achieved in the youth's favor is the preparation of a legal and legislative framework that places young people in the government policy system and at the heart of the state's general policies.
The existence of a national strategy for young people of both genders has become urgent and necessary, as well as organizing the national youth movement, activating their role at the international level, and motivating them for political and social participation to prepare a generation of young leaders to lead the next stage, HE the minister noted.
HE added that the ministry is working to empower youth first within the ministry itself to lead the youth work. The ministry works closely in partnership with the youth to confirm their ability to lead and take responsibility for building the state, as they are the most important resources to build the country, he added.
The ministry has a complete calendar for training and capacity building of young people, based on discipline, moral participation and mutual respect, and on the basis of learning the tools of the political process at the national level, and how to express urgent issues that concern young people to be an icon of participation in public life, the Libyan minister said. Hence, the path was to establish local youth councils to be an umbrella for various youth groups from the ages of 18 to 35 to choose their representatives locally, and for these councils to be platforms and forces advocating youth issues and, at the same time, incubators to build their capacities, he added.
The National Center for the Preparation of Young Leaders was also established within the mechanisms of implementing this initiative, and is concerned with organizing a package of training programs for young men and women, he said, stressing the existence of a political will to provide the requirements and the appropriate environment to stimulate youth participation, so more than 500 youth facilities have been developed, in addition to good steps regarding budgets in favor of young people, as the budget allocated to youth jumped from less than 1 percent to nearly 10 percent, as other important initiatives were adopted, such as the initiative to facilitate marriage, which benefited more than 100,000 young men and girls at the national level, to build cohesive families, and strengthen the ties between them
