Doha, November 11 (QNA) - Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Sports and Youth, will host the 17th EMPOWER 2026 Youth Conference from Nov. 12 to 14 at Andaz Doha by Hyatt, under the motto of empowering young people to take the helm in advancing peace and security.

In a statement Wednesday, EAA said the conference will host 250 homegrown young people, alongside policymakers, representatives of the UN and civil society organizations, academics, international youth representatives and a contingent of sophisticated people.

The three-day event primarily aims to amplify young voices, substantially bolster their leadership and advocacy skills, and bring their recommendations into the broader regional dialogue on peace and security.

This year's congress reflects a commitment to meaningful youth engagement, with youth committees playing an active role in taking on the mantle of peace and security and shaping the program and activities to ensure that the issues addressed reflect young people's priorities and aspirations.

Young delegates will take part in a range of conversations and workshops designed to foster their leadership and advocacy skills, while putting forward joint recommendations for the EMPOWER 2026 Youth Declaration ahead of the Arab Youth Forum for Peace and Security in Doha from Nov. 15 to 17.

Chief Economic Empowerment Officer at EAA, Mana Mohammad Al Ansari, said EMPOWER is grounded in a fundamental principle: young people should do more than engage in discussions about their future; they should play a powerful role in charting it.

He noted that youth committees this year played a pivotal role in designing a conference that reflects young people's priorities and ideas.

EAA strives to imbue young people with the knowledge, confidence and opportunities to think outside the box and turn their perspectives into action, Al Ansari underlined, affirming that their joint recommendations will form the EMPOWER 2026 Youth Declaration, helping bring their voices into the wider regional dialogue on Youth, Peace and Security.

For his part, Director of the Youth Affairs Department at the Ministry of Sports and Youth, Fawaz Abdullah Al Musaifri, said Qatar places young people at the heart of its development path.

The strategic partnership with EAA highlights a commitment to providing meaningful platforms for young people to express their views, bolster their leadership skills and help address issues affecting their future, said Al Musaifri, emphasizing that he looks forward to the ideas and recommendations growing out of this edition.

The opening ceremony will feature welcome notes by EAA, a keynote address by the Ministry of Sports and Youth, a screening of the short film Youth Voices for Peace, and a creative youth presentation titled A Message from 2040.

Participants will likewise take part in 18 interactive workshops, four inspirational speeches and four panel discussions.

The agenda will focus on four principal themes: youth participation in decision-making; protecting and including young peacebuilders; education and economic opportunities as cornerstones of peace; and the role of sport and cross-sector partnerships in bolstering resilience and social cohesion.

The conference will also feature an exhibition showcasing youth-led ideas and projects, alongside a range of partner initiatives.

The declaration is expected to be one of the conference's principal outcomes, with participants working together to develop it as a call to action in support of the Youth, Peace and Security agenda.

Youth representatives from EAA will subsequently present the declaration at the Doha Arab Forum. (QNA)