The UAE’s youth delegates to the UN have stressed the importance of empowering young people to participate in the decision-making process in society, which is a key priority of the UAE.

They made these comments in the plenary meeting of the Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Committee - otherwise known as the Third Committee - of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

Maryam Belhoul and Ahmad Al Zarooni, the UAE’s youth delegates for 2019, who are tasked with representing the young people of the UAE at the UN, put forward their ideas in the meeting.

They celebrated the UAE’s Hazza Al Mansoori - who made history by becoming the first Emirati astronaut in space on 25 Sept 2019. They emphasised that the UAE’s investment in its youth was critical in making their ambition to travel to space a reality.

The delegates outlined the four key priorities of the UAE National Youth Agenda, along with other initiatives, policies and strategies that the UAE has implemented, to empower young people. They highlighted the UAE’s recently-adopted policy, which ensures that the voice of youth is heard at the federal level by having at least one young Emirati, under the age of 30, on the board of directors for any government entity.

This is in addition to the establishment of Youth Councils at the national and federal levels. The Federal Youth Authority has launched the Emirati Youth Professional School, which offers free certified vocation training to better equip young people for the marketplace, they pointed out.

The youth delegates referred to the report of the UN Secretary-General on policies and programmes involving youth and underlined the direct correlation between mental health and young people’s well-being. In this regard, they highlighted the nonprofit organisation that they, along with other young Emiratis, founded to raise awareness about mental health through volunteerism and advocacy.

They also emphasised that the UAE’s efforts not only extended to its local youth, but also to young people in the Arab region, through different initiatives such as the Arab Youth Centre and One Million Arab Coders.

Last month, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, stated that the UAE’s work to build its national capacities and invest in the potential of its people is a global model of empowering the youth and preparing them to play their key role in creating their future.

He made this statement while attending the graduation of 80 government employees from the Emirates Youth Programme, who include several people of determination, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

“The UAE’s embarking on the capabilities of its people and their potential since its establishment is a focus of its approach and today we are seeing the results, represented by the UAE’s leadership and its overall progress and competitiveness. This policy has made a positive difference and will reinforce the country’s civilised model because we believe that the future will be led by the youth, and its industry will depend on their minds, efforts, giving and creativity,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said.

“We expect young Emiratis to be confident and responsible. We see them as promising future opportunities and the UAE’s hope to achieve overall leadership,” he added while congratulating the programme’s graduates and urging them to continue learning and acquiring knowledge.

The Emirati Youth Programme, organised by the UAE Government Leaders Programme, in collaboration with the UAE Youth Council, witnessed the participation of a group of government employees aged between 21 and 35. The programme is based on the six core themes of values and ethics, happiness and positivity, creative leadership, science and technology, development projects, and the UAE’s model of government leadership.

WAM