Int’l Youth Day marked with focus on humanitarian action amid pandemic

AMMAN — The Ministry of Youth, UNFPA, UNDP and UN Women, in collaboration with the National Youth Peace and Security 2250 Coalition in Jordan, on Thursday held an event to celebrate International Youth Day 2020, under the global theme “Youth Engagement for Global Action”.

The celebration took place in the form of a webinar titled “Youth Peace and Security Coffee Break Session” with the main guest speaker Ahmad Alhendawi, the Secretary General of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement and the former UN Youth Envoy, who discussed “Global Perspectives on the Youth Peace and Security agenda and the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action in light of  COVID-19 and the Jordan context”, according to a UNFPA statement.

The event aimed at highlighting and discussing youth participation and engagement under the Youth Peace and Security agenda and its linkages with the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action, which was officially launched in Jordan on June 29 this year, while reflecting on the local context. 

The discussion highlighted positive practices for youth engagement in the COVID-19 response and aftermath for global action and “generated a more positive and gender-responsive youth narrative in the response and beyond”, the statement said.

Erik Ullenhag, the Swedish ambassador to Jordan, stated in his opening speech: “It is often said that the young are our future. But let us not forget that they are also our present. Jordan has one of the youngest populations in the world, with 63 per cent of its citizens under the age of 30. These young people can make a tremendous contribution to peace and security if their knowledge, strengths and enthusiasm are unlocked and taken seriously.” 

Alhendawi said: “Jordan played a vital role in the adoption of the historic Security Council resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security. Five years later, we still need to translate the resolution into concrete actions and to remove all barriers hindering youth participation.”

Opening the discussion, Enshrah Ahmed, the Head of Office of UNFPA Jordan, said: "Effective participation for young men and women is the path toward sustainable development and peacebuilding. Young adolescents' empowerment is the path toward ending gender based violence. The UN Resolution 2250 and the Global Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action are frameworks that position the youth participation as an essence for all our development and humanitarian work and calls for the need to hear and engage young people and give them the space to lead." 

Youth Ministry Secretary General Hussein Al Jbour said: “Although Jordanian youth show a high sense of patriotism, they have a sense of global belonging too, they will contribute to the greater good of mankind across the globe.”

On behalf of UN Women, Evan Qursha said: “Young women and men in Jordan are leaders in promoting gender equality, contributing solutions and shaping decisions in their communities, while volunteering to support vulnerable populations during the pandemic. On this International Youth Day, we celebrate the immense value of young people in leading the way to building back a more equal and resilient society for all.” 

Abdullh Saed, a youth member of the Jordan Youth Peace and Security 2250 National Coalition and the co-moderator of the event, said: “Young people are one of the main keys to peace and security in their communities. If we were able to guide youth and utilise their energies and capabilities, we can achieve any goals aspiring for nations social development.” 

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 (UNSCR 2250) addresses the specific needs and opportunities of young people as a key demographic group affected by conflict and includes a commitment to supporting young people’s participation and leadership in peace-building, the statement said.

The case is no different in Jordan. Hence, the Jordan Youth Peace and Security 2250 National Coalition consisting of 22 member organisations: “Generations For Peace, the Crown Prince Foundation, Search for Common Ground, JOHUD, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, UNRWA, UNDP, British Council, I-DARE, the Jordanian National Commission for Women (JNCW), Mercy Corps, WANA Institute, Jordan Olympic Committee, Terre Des Hommes, Taqarob Foundation, Ambassadors for Life, War Child, NAYA and Intermediaries of Change Center for Sustainable Development - Under the umbrella of the Ministry of Youth” and 24 youth members are working in multiple ways for peace and security across the Kingdom, according to the statement.