Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha has called for addressing the challenges faced by youth in OIC Member States, especially with regard to high unemployment, the spread of extremism, displacement, asylum and illegal immigration. To that end, he called for developing joint policies, strategies, and action plans to meet the needs of youth, offer them opportunities and enhance their role in development to advance the socio-economic conditions, as well as to build and promote peace and dialogue and combat extremism and terrorism. This was part of the Secretary General's speech before the 5th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYMS) of the OIC Member States, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on 7-9 September 2022 under the theme "Development of Youth and Sports for a Solidarity-based Ummah". Speakers at the opening session also included Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Minister of Sport in Saudi Arabia and Chair of the current ICYSM session, Minister of Youth and Sports in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Chair of the 4th ICYSM Session Farid Gayibov and President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group Dr. Mohammad bin Suleiman Al-Jasser. The Secretary General pointed out that Global studies indicate that the OIC geography accommodates about a quarter of the world's youth, and it is expected that the OIC countries will have more than a third of the world's youth by 2050, according to the United Nations world population prospects. These facts and statistics can provide opportunities for the Muslim world if the potentials of youth are appropriately harnessed, and when youth are involved in setting and implementing policies and programs on youth and sports development. The OIC Secretary General called for concrete actions and initiatives through launching development programs for youth in all Member States, and that the OIC Member States and relevant institutions play an active role in these programs and initiatives. The Secretary General expressed great thanks and appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the OIC host country, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince, for the generous hosting of this session after Saudi Arabia had kindly hosted the first and second ICYSM sessions. He highly commended the great attention and care paid by the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to issues related to youth and sports in the OIC Member States in particular, and for the generous care and continuous support for the OIC and its various activities and programs, in order to strengthen Islamic solidarity, and to advance the role entrusted to the OIC.
