Doha, November 11 (QNA) - The State of Qatar, through the Ministry of Sports and Youth, is hosting the Arab Youth Forum on Peace and Security 2026 from Nov. 15-17.

Organized in collaboration with the Arab League, the forum will bring together numerous UN agencies, programs and funds, alongside young delegations from 17 Arab nations, as well as a range of ministers and top-echelon officials, a contingent of experts and representatives of regional and international organizations.

It aims to advance the Arab Strategy for Youth, Peace and Security (2023-2028) from policy frameworks to actual implementation, pursuant to a decision by the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports.

The move is part of broader efforts to strengthen young people's engagement in peacebuilding and security, expand their presence in decision-making processes, and foster Arab and international partnerships to augment their role in navigating challenges and bolstering community stability.

The forum positions itself as an Arab platform for conversation and the sharing of expertise, offering young people from across the Arab world a space to take up issues related to peace and security, put forward their perspectives and help craft concrete recommendations to advance youth policies and initiatives, while reinforcing cooperation between national institutions and regional and international organizations.

The forum will convene a broad range of regional and international institutions and organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Search for Common Ground (SFCG).

  Several national institutions will also participate, foremost among them the Education Above All Foundation (EAA), the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Qatar University (QU), the QatarDebate Center (QDC), the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI), and the Qatar Scientific Club (QSC), whose participation comes through cooperation with the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT).

The three-day agenda includes operationalizing young people's effective participation, from the Arab Strategy for Youth to institutional integration into the peacebuilding architecture. Discussions will examine mechanisms for promoting young people's presence in peacebuilding institutions, as well as frameworks that ensure their substantive engagement in decision-making processes.

The first day features a session on forging enduring, multilateral partnerships to foster young people's participation in peace efforts, alongside six workshops addressing youth governance, youth protection, building intergenerational trust, and the role of education, rights and opportunities in empowering young people.

The workshops will also explore the development of regional cooperation networks and ways to strengthen young people's engagement in peace processes and formal governance.

The second day's session will drill down on the transition from strategy to implementation, focusing on putting national pathways for the youth, peace and security agenda into effect and outlining practical mechanisms to turn these strategic thrusts into actionable programs and initiatives.

The second day will also feature a session on measuring the impact of youth participation, bolstering institutional trust and assessing peace outcomes, alongside six workshops focused on building cross-sectoral partnerships and capabilities, strengthening young people's resilience through sports, the role of education, dialogue and debate in peacebuilding, and leveraging technology, artificial intelligence and innovation to develop sustainable youth partnerships.

The final day will bring together three youth working groups to craft final recommendations and perspectives, examine the themes of participation and institutional integration, implementation mechanisms, multilateral resources and partnerships, and develop an evidence, accountability and impact-measurement framework for youth initiatives.

The closing sessions are expected to consolidate the outcomes of the three working groups into a joint youth declaration, to be announced during the forum's closing ceremony under the title Doha Forum Outcomes.

Reflecting the priorities and aspirations of Arab youth, the declaration will put forward actionable recommendations to augment their role in peace and security and turn the forum's outcomes into avenues for cooperation and initiatives that can be implemented and tracked.

Hosting the forum in Doha demonstrates the State of Qatar's commitment to supporting joint Arab youth efforts, fostering partnerships with regional and international institutions and organizations, expanding youth engagement in discussing priority issues, and helping formulate solutions and initiatives in support of building a more secure, stable and enduring future. (QNA)