His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on Wednesday inaugurated the High-Level Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security, and witnessed the launch of the Arab Strategy for Youth, Peace and Security (2023-2028).

According to a royal court statement, the strategy aims to implement UN Security Council resolutions (2250, 2419, 2535) on youth, by enhancing the role of Arab youth in decision-making, increasing their political and economic engagement, and ensuring economic security.

The strategy was prepared by an Arab ministerial committee headed by Jordan, in cooperation with the League of Arab States.

Jordan is hosting the two-day forum as part of efforts to implement the UN Resolution 2250 "Youth, Peace and Security", which resulted from an initiative put forward by Crown Prince Al Hussein, when he chaired the open discussion session on this matter in the Security Council in 2015.

In remarks at the forum’s opening session, Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh highlighted the need for the region’s youth to have a roadmap in light of regional challenges, stressing the need to develop national plans that take into account the different priorities in each Arab country, in order to implement this strategy.

The prime minister reaffirmed that Jordan is moving forward with comprehensive modernisation across the political, economic and administrative tracks, noting that the upcoming parliamentary elections will witness broader youth representation.

Moreover, Khasawneh warned of the youth’s fading trust in the international system in light of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, reiterating Jordan's firm position on the importance of ending the war on the Strip and ensuring the sustainable flow of humanitarian aid.

For his part, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit stressed the importance of the strategy that resulted from the efforts of His Royal Highness, voicing hope it would contribute to enhancing the role of youth in political decision-making at the national and regional levels, as well as achieving peace and stability in the region.

Aboul Gheit praised young Palestinians’ resilience in defending their identity and their right to life, highlighting their heroic roles in rescue and relief operations, assisting refugees, and documenting crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

For her part, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo commended Jordan’s role in promoting the youth, peace and security agenda in the region, highlighting the importance of the strategy in encouraging youth participation to reach lasting peace and security, especially since about 60 per cent of the region’s youth are under the age of 30.

The High-Level Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security includes dialogue sessions on ways to implement the youth, peace and security agenda, and the priorities of member states in developing the strategy’s executive plan.

The forum, organised by the Ministry of Youth in partnership with the League of Arab States, is attended by ministers of youth and sports from various Arab countries, Arab youth delegations, and representatives of civil society organisations and international organisations.

On the sidelines of the forum, the League of Arab States will hold an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Arab Youth and Sports Ministers to discuss the national priorities of Arab countries regarding the youth, peace and security agenda.