BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 1. The Youth Forum of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has been held in Aghdam, Trend reports.
The event was held for the first time within the framework of the OIC Week.
The main goal of the forum was to activate the participation of youth in building the future of the OIC region and include their ideas in the new development strategy of the organization.
Addressing the event, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Secretary General Asad M. Khan stressed that it is important to take concrete steps to involve youth in practically achieving common goals.
“We must take deliberate steps to ensure that young people are not just passive participants but active leaders in shaping and realizing our common goals and aspirations,” he said.
According to him, in the quest for a more integrated and interconnected region, it is clear that success will depend not only on cooperation between governments but also on the active engagement of all key stakeholders, including youth, women, and the private sector.
"These groups are central to the transformation of any country or region. A forum dedicated to increasing youth participation in building a sustainable and climate-resilient future emphasizes: the participation of the younger generation is vital to shaping the future of our region. It is through engaging and supporting young people that we can bring fresh perspectives, creativity, and innovation to pressing issues," Asad M. Khan said.
Head of the Department of the Committee on Youth and Family Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, Almagul Kutanova, told reporters on the sidelines of the event that the ECO Youth Forum in Aghdam was organized at a high level.
"I am happy to represent Kazakhstan at such a significant event as the ECO Youth Forum. I want to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers for holding the forum at a high level," she said.
According to the representative of the Ministry, representatives of more than ten countries participate in the forum. Kazakhstan is an active participant in this initiative.
She noted that a strategic plan is being developed, which will build a unified mechanism for the development of youth policy within the ECO.
The representative of the Ministry also emphasized the symbolism of holding the forum exactly in the city of Aghdam. "We are delighted with what we see today. Aghdam has undergone large-scale transformations in such a short period," she added.
Further, addressing the panel discussions, Mehmet Akif Kirecci, President of ECO Institute of Education, stated that social media, artificial intelligence (AI) tools are a challenge to educational models.
"These tools offer great opportunities to engage young people in education. We should try to highlight the most capable young people. Without education, it is impossible to build a successful future. The education of young people and their awareness of world events is of paramount importance," he added.
He noted that young people are very good at building ties of friendship and relationships.
He pointed out that education encompasses every aspect of human life.
"Over the past two years, we have faced the challenges of modern education. The models of education show that it is formed based on the peculiarities of each country. We should accelerate our work in this direction," he said.
Head of the Economic Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadov, in turn, informed that more than 20 documents on the plans of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) are at the stage of intergovernmental consideration.
According to him, there are 14 global and 7 local initiatives, 2 of which are related to the current discussions.
"We developed the Baku Principles, which include 12 elements, and then prepared a statement together with 14 UN agencies and multilateral banking organizations. These principles are already being endorsed by countries. As part of the COP29 chairmanship, we launched climate and education initiatives. We are implementing these initiatives at the regional level," he noted.
He emphasized that the second important issue is climate finance.
"This is the first time we have combined climate finance and investment. This was done to support developing countries. It was important for sustainable climate finance. We believe that this initiative can be realized within the ECO framework," he said.
Mammadov also noted that there are up to 25 documents related to ECO plans, which are currently undergoing intergovernmental processes.
“We unite youth, women, representatives of the private sector who should be involved in drafting these documents,” he added.
In conclusion, he emphasized that holding the Youth Forum for the first time in Karabakh is a historic event.
The forum discussed topics such as economic and trade cooperation, sustainability and technology, human capital, and other areas.
The forum is also an important platform for enhancing the role of youth in regional politics and promoting their contribution to the development of future generations.
