Arab Youth Centre in Abu Dhabi honours first cohort of Youth Envoys

AMMAN — The Arab Youth Centre (AYC), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), graduated members of the first batch of members of the Youth Envoys for Development Programme in the Arab Region, after the expansion of the programme to include three new Arab countries, with the aim of supporting the economic, social and human development.

The AYC and UNDP signed the agreement to launch the second edition of the Youth Envoys for Development Programme last March during the "Arab Meeting of Young Leaders", in order to double the empowerment of young people in the Arab countries and develop their skills and practical experience in development disciplines, according to a statement from the centre.

This version of the programme witnessed the appointment of a group of Arab youth in the offices of the United Nations Development Programme in 13 Arab countries, to be envoys for development in their societies and countries, in addition to training their young peers later in the various development work skills they have acquired.

UAE’s Minister of State for Youth Shamma Al Mazrui said that the AYC is focused on continuous youth empowerment through skills building and opportunities. 

This programme is a way to provide opportunities for Arab youth to take on greater responsibilities and, through these real-world experiences, to build competencies and develop their skills, she said. 

“What I love about this programme is that fosters a feeling of connectedness and belonging, helping these youth to develop their sense of identity. The experience of contributing to a cause, a decision, and/or a group in the UNDP can be crucial part to the development of sense of responsibility, purpose and self-worth for these youth,” the minister said. 

The AYC continues to believe in the importance of engaging young people as key informants in the design and development of new programmes intended to benefit them, the statement said.

The event was organised at the centre’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi in partnership with UNDP and the Regional Centre, represented by Khalid Abdul Shafi, Director Manager of the Regional Centre for Arab States at UNDP, and Dina Assaf, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the United Arab Emirates.

Khalid Abdul Shafi said: "The sponsorship of the Arab Youth Centre for development envoys through the United Nations offices reflected positively on the level of youth participation and empowerment in the development work sector, and put youth at the centre of influence and interaction with field projects to serve communities and contribute to supporting their peers through the transfer of experience, knowledge exchange and training and improve.”

"We will continue to train young people on the best practices of development work in partnership with United Nations programmes, and we will build on the gains of previous experience in order to maximise the benefit and impact of the first version of the programme,” he added.

Quality opportunities for young people

The Programme of Youth Envoys for Development in the Arab Region, in partnership between the AYC and UNDP, provides quality opportunities for elite young people, keen to accelerate the development of their Arab societies and align its course with the Sustainable Development Goals, to work for two years in the UNDP office in their countries, the statement said.

After the first batch of the Youth Envoys for Development programme included 10 Arab countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Djibouti, Palestine, Somalia, Syria and Tunisia, the second edition of the programme expanded to include three new Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Algeria.