Shura Council Deputy Speaker Affirms Importance of Youth Engagement in Countering Terrorism

Shura Council

HE Shura Council Deputy Speaker Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al Sulaiti hailed the youths' central role in countering terrorism and violent extremism.

Addressing the closing plenary of the Doha Youth Parliamentary Forum, Her Excellency added that investing in youth energies essentially builds safe and stable societies.

The event, which kicked off November 9, was organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Program Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, with the support of the Shura Council.

Her Excellency highlighted that the State of Qatar backs and empowers youth to confront their future-threatening challenges, based on its Islamic and Arab values.

Underscoring dialogue and collective action as key pillars to avert extremism and violence, Her Excellency spotlighted the role of young parliamentarians in formulating national policies, and ways to boost cooperation between parliaments and civil society organizations. She also presented successful examples of youth-led initiatives to confront security and social challenges.

Her Excellency cautioned against the huge global perils terrorism poses to young people in particular, noting that working to provide supportive environments provides them with opportunities for work, education and a decent life, and contributes to protecting this group from falling victim to exploitation by extremist organizations.

Calling for the need to enhance regional and international parliamentary cooperation to support efforts aimed at achieving justice and reducing conflicts, she highlighted the need to reform the UN system to be more efficient in achieving global peace and stability.

Meanwhile, HE Shura Council Member Mohammed bin Omar Al Mannai hailed the deep visions and innovative ideas raised during the forum to enhance the role of young parliamentarians and enable them to participate in decision-making, stressing the importance of cooperation between parliaments and young people to combat terrorism and violent extremism.

Commending the joint cooperation between the Shura Council and the UNOCT as a reflection of Qatar's vision in supporting and empowering youth as a pillar of sustainable development, His Excellency stressed the importance of building sustainable communication networks to exchange experiences and enhance capabilities.

Chief of the UNOCT Program Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Doha David Alamos praised the Shura Council's unwavering support for the office, stressing the importance of holding such youth events concerned with confronting terrorism and extremism.

He hailed the forum as a key platform for cooperation, dialogue and communication to enhance the role of youth in making change, stressing the role of universities and higher education institutions in building their capacities, qualifying them to lead the future and raising their level of awareness to confront the scourge of extremism and terrorism.

The closing plenary discussions highlighted the importance of empowering youth through training and educational programs aimed at building their capacities to confront extremism, and referred to the mechanisms for activating cooperation between national parliaments and regional and international parliamentary networks to support youth and enable them to contribute effectively to combating terrorism and violent extremism.

At the end of the session, HE Al Mannai and Alamos handed over certificates to the youths who engaged in the series of seminars in a number of local universities.

The seminars addressed various issues related to youth, with a focus on the importance of enhancing their awareness and empowering them to become partners in peace-building and development efforts and confronting extremism and terrorism, in addition to discussing the role of women and the family in this field.

(QNA)