World in race with time to save youth from exploitation — Crown Prince

MADABA — HRH Crown Prince Hussein on Friday said those who possess the key to young minds can unlock the doors of the future,and stressed on the need for protecting the youth from exploitation by terrorist and their likes.

Addressing more than 500 politicians, UN leaders, youth representatives and officials from several countries at the opening of the Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security, the Crown Prince called for efforts to optimally utilise the youth potential and capabilities to enhance their role as peace builders.

“Unfortunately, if we look back on our modern history, we will find that tyrants, occupiers and terrorists in any shape or form — including Al Qaeda and Daesh — have all exploited young people and their potential,” said the Crown Prince.

“Has not the time come to utilise this formula to make peace? To build strong generations that won’t be swayed by the slogans of those who seek to advance their own agendas, whatever they may be?” he added.

“We are in a race against agendas on the hunt for the youth’s capacities to serve their own goals. We are in a race with time because our future cannot afford to waste the capacities of today’s generation,” he said.

Highlighting the youth as having fundamental influence on shaping the future, he said there has never been a greater opportunity to influence the future, especially in the Arab world, where youth under 25 years old make up around 70 per cent of the population.

The Crown Prince underlined that youth are the strategic asset.

“I assure you that the young people of my generation do not lack the will to take action,” he added.

On the contrary, young people are the most aware of the challenges facing their homelands. They are the most knowledgeable of the advancements of their times; and they are the most capable of listening to the world and communicating with it because they have mastered the language of this age, with the cyberspace carrying their voice from East to West across all borders and restrictions, he said.

He added that the forum was held to build on the outcomes of the Security Council’s open session on the “Role of Youth in Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Peace”, which was organised by Jordan during its presidency of the Council in April.

In his address, Crown Prince Hussein said Jordan will work through its membership in the UN Security Council for the council’s adoption of an agenda on youth, peace and security to ensure the inclusion of youth in efforts towards building sustainable peace and security.  

In a message to the forum, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said young people are essential to the establishment of lasting security. 

“While media reports may portray youth, especially young men, as a threat, this is a gross distortion. Many combatants may be young but the vast majority of youth are not violent. They are often among conflict’s first victims — and they can lead as champions of peace,” said Ban in the message, read on his behalf by Babatunde Osotimehin, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund.

There are countless youth organisations that want to wage peace, not war. Yet in conflict-torn countries, these groups lack the influence, capacity and funds they need to operate effectively. They share our ideals — and they deserve our unstinting assistance, he said.

With the right support, young people can build peace, foster reconciliation and achieve democratic governance,” he added.

The United Nations is working hard to listen and respond to today’s youth, he said.

“We have already launched the Guiding Principles on Young People’s Participation in Peacebuilding. I am also developing a comprehensive Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism that will seek to engage and empower youth,” said the UN chief.

Stressing that the need to address all types of deprivation youth across the world suffer from, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh said in his remarks that the ideology of darkness and terrorist groups take advantage of types of deprivation youth suffer from and utilise them to serve their agendas.

Judeh, who stressed that the war against terrorist is the war of Muslims, said it is vital to address all types of social, economic, political or any other types of deprivation.