NEW YORK, May 29 (KUNA) -- Kuwait will offer a financial contribution of USD 1.5 million to the Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth over the coming two years, "in order to assist in realizing its envisaged youth programs and activities." The statement was made by the country's Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah in his speech at the High-Level Event of the UN General Assembly to commemorate the Anniversary of the World Program on Action for Youth.
The contribution was prompted by Kuwait's firm belief "in the importance of enabling the youth, and in their role in building the human civilization, and guided by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Leader of Humanitarian Work," Sheikh Salman added.
On behalf of the member states of the Arab League, the minister extended thanks and appreciation to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, for "his sustained efforts to improve the situation of world youth." He also thanked President of the UN General Assembly Sam Kutesa "for his gracious invitation to convene this special session on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the launch of the World Program of Action on Youth." Kuwait is head of the current Thirty-Eighth session of the Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports, he said.
Sheikh Salman stated that the Arab region has made progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, but it "was not sufficient to achieve food security, combat poverty and marginalization, and realizing the required social justice." According to the minister, the Council of Arab Ministers for Youth and Sports adopted in its recent 38th session several important resolutions on developing the Arab Youth Policy." "At the same time we realize that the recent changes and inter-connectivity occurring in the world, as much as they contributed to the maximization and efficiency of the realized achievements, yet on the other hand, have made it easier for the domestic problems, with all their ensuing risks, to move to any other sport in the world," he said.
This inevitably reduces the space of action available for national and regional policies which aim at establishing the desired security, development and stability in the context of a fast increasing globalization, and the speed at which problems are moving through the globe, Sheikh Salman added.
In this context, it is "imperative that joint cooperation should be enhanced between concerned United Nations organization and the League of Arab States, represented by the Council of Ministers for Youth and Sports." Sheikh Salman referred to "thorny challenges" the Arab world is facing, such as "poor societal participation by the youth, and a lower per capita income of the Gross National Income." It also has the fastest population growth in the world.
This is added to "economic crises, commotions, internal conflicts, and political and social instability that the Arab region has witnessed during the past decade." "This places our region before real developmental challenges in the coming years, while it is no secret that the region already faces complex and thorny issues such as unemployment, which has reached 27 percent among youth, far exceeding the world youth unemployment rate, which stands at 12.6 percent." Concluding his speech, Sheikh Salman reiterated appreciation to President of the General Assembly, the office of the Secretary-Geneal's Envoy on Youth, represented by Mr. Ahmad El Hendawi, for organizing this international celebration and commitment.
He stressed that the Arab States are "committed in general to enhancing co-operation with the Office of Secretary General's Envoy on Youth, in order to help it realize its noble humanitarian goals geared to developing and strengthening youth policies and strategies, as well as enabling the youth at local and international levels." (end) maa.msa