Doha, November 15 (QNA) - The Arab Youth Forum for Peace and Security 2026 opened Sunday morning in Doha, organized by the Ministry of Sports and Youth in collaboration with the Arab League, with the participation of several United Nations agencies, programs and funds.

The three-day forum convenes youth delegates from 17 Arab countries, along with ministers, senior officials and representatives of regional and international organizations.

In his opening remarks, HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth of the State of Qatar Yasir bin Abdullah Al Jamal said the State of Qatar's hosting of this forum was a testament to its commitment to empowering young people and engaging them in peacebuilding and the decision-making process, stressing that young people are capable of getting past conflicts, humanitarian crises and digital challenges, despite being affected by them, provided they are given the knowledge, opportunities and confidence they need.

Their role is as important to building lasting peace as it is to shaping the future of their communities, HE Al Jamal underlined.

HE the Undersecretary pointed out that the Arab region abounds with promising young talent and has plenty of potential to draw on, asserting that peace forged without young people's involvement does not last, while development whose course they have no part in shaping falls short of its intended goals.

He noted that the State of Qatar has placed people at the heart of development and translated its commitment to young people into a lot of programs spanning education, sports, culture and innovation. These efforts, he noted, also include supporting education in conflict zones, amplifying young people's voices at international forums, and prioritizing dialogue and mediation in resolving conflicts.

He pointed out that the Youth, Peace and Security agenda is grounded in UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and the Arab strategy stemming from it.

HE Al Jamal further explained that the forum focuses on two main pillars: partnerships and participation. These include expanding cooperation among national, Arab and international institutions and giving young people a substantive role that goes far beyond mere attendance to include influencing decisions.

He added that the forum brings young people together with decision-makers and sophisticated people through sessions, workshops and working groups to draft the Doha Youth Document, supporting the strategy's implementation at both national and regional levels, urging participants to put forward bold ideas and actionable proposals and to serve as ambassadors for peace in their communities.

For his part, HE Minister of Youth and Sports of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Chairman of the Executive Bureau of the Council of Arab Ministers of Youth and Sports, Gohar Nabil, said young people are essential partners in preventing conflicts and building peace. Their active participation, he stressed, must extend far beyond attending events and having their views heard to include decision-making, policy formulation and monitoring implementation.

The Egyptian minister said the next phase requires moving beyond simply preparing young people to empowering them to participate meaningfully, strengthening their roles across various sectors, exchanging successful Arab experiences, and cementing the Arab Youth, Peace and Security Strategy through practical responsibilities that ensure sustained participation and measure its impact.

He suggested that empowering young people to take part in decision-making is much more effective than limiting their involvement to attendance and consultation.

He also extended his gratitude to the State of Qatar for hosting the forum and supporting Arab youth issues and joint Arab action, stressing the importance of continued cooperation in this regard.

Nabil noted that UN Security Council Resolution 2250 marked a significant step toward recognizing young people's role in peacebuilding. He called for translating the Arab Youth, Peace and Security Strategy into practical steps that ensure their sustained participation and measure its impact.

In his opening remarks, HE Minister Plenipotentiary and Director of the Youth and Sports Department at the Arab League General Secretariat, Faisal Ali Ghassal, said the State of Qatar's hosting of the forum was an opportunity to move beyond establishing frameworks toward implementing the Arab Youth, Peace and Security Strategy (2023-2028).

This means translating its objectives into policies, programs and initiatives that young people can see making a tangible difference in their lives and communities, HE Ghassal underscored.

He explained that the strategy, adopted by the Arab Summit in Bahrain in 2024, was developed through a participatory process involving six regional consultations and representatives of Arab youth.

Ghassal stressed that its implementation requires coordinated efforts among governments, regional and international organizations, and civil society institutions. He underscored the need to provide protection and support for young people affected by conflicts, displacement and forced migration, particularly Palestinian youth, in ways that safeguard their rights and enable them to continue their education and work.

He extended his gratitude to the State of Qatar for hosting the forum and backing joint Arab action, hoping that the forum would give young people an opportunity to propound their initiatives and visions and produce recommendations that can be monitored and evaluated, strengthening their role in peacebuilding and reinforcing the values of dialogue and tolerance. 

For his part, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs at the United Nations, Dr. Felipe Paullier, highlighted that Arab young people contribute to peacebuilding despite the conflicts and crises unfolding across the region. He noted that today's challenge lies in moving far beyond recognizing their role to actively involving them in decision-making on conflict prevention, peacebuilding and recovery, particularly young women and men battered by conflicts.

In remarks delivered from New York to participants in the forum, Dr. Paullier pointed out that UN Security Council Resolution 2250 promoted recognition of young people's role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, while the Arab Youth, Peace and Security Strategy provides a regional framework for translating that recognition into concrete steps.

He called for backing youth-led initiatives to build trust and strengthen social cohesion, as well as linking them with relevant institutions. This would help turn participants' proposals at the forum into actionable measures that can be monitored and followed up. He also expressed his gratitude to the State of Qatar and the Arab League for holding the forum.

For his part, Director of the Youth Affairs Department at Qatar's Ministry of Sports and Youth Fawaz Al Musifri said the State of Qatar's hosting of the forum is part of its support for the Arab Peace and Security Strategy (2023-2028) and its efforts to strengthen Arab youth's role in actively participating in crafting policies and strategies related to peace and security across the region.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the event's opening, Al Musifri highlighted that the forum is in accord with the Arab Peace and Security Strategy and supports the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, which was initiated by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He pointed out that several Arab countries, including Jordan and Algeria, had previously hosted similar events under the strategy.

This edition of the forum focuses on the active participation of young people in peace and security processes, providing them with leeway to engage in conversations, exchange experiences and put forward their visions on issues and challenges related to this field, Al Musifri said.

He elaborated that one of the forum's foremost objectives is to empower young people to contribute to crafting policies and strategies related to peace and security in the Arab world, and to transform their participation into far more than mere attendance, giving them a substantive role in shaping visions and proposals.

Al Musifri further stressed that the recommendations would be prepared in tandem with the Arab League's technical team, ahead of their adoption by the League and circulation among Arab countries, thereby contributing to the implementation of the Arab Peace and Security Strategy's objectives.

Deputy Regional Director for Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Abdul Aziz Fofana, pointed out that young people's engagement in peacebuilding requires them to have an influential voice in decisions affecting their lives. He stressed that peace is fundamental to achieving development goals.

He explained that 44.8 million children across the region need humanitarian assistance and that at least 30 million children are out of school. He also recalled that more than one in four young people seeking employment in Arab countries cannot find work, while young women face even greater barriers to accessing employment opportunities.

Fofana stressed that UN Security Council Resolution 2250 and the Arab Youth, Peace and Security Strategy for 2023-2028 underpin youth participation. He called for translating the forum's two pillars, participation and partnerships, into concrete steps that enable young people to contribute to decision-making.

He also called on governments and partners to provide resources and monitor implementation, as well as to continue working with young people after the forum concludes. (QNA)