Dushanbe-Tajikistan-19.05.2013- The Former Minister for International Development in the United Kingdom, Mr Shahid Malik, has called on the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to establish a Global Youth Development Conference, in order to develop the capacity and employment opportunities of the youth in the Muslim world.
Mr. Malik was speaking during the 2nd Annual IDB Youth Development Forum on Sunday in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Mr. Malik, who served as the facilitator of the program stated that the Global Youth Development Conference will provide an opportunity for young men and women from IDB member countries to engage in focused discussions on various issues related to youth development, particularly youth employment.
In his remarks, the IDB Vice President (Corporate Services), Dr Ahmet Tiktik, noted that the Islamic Development Bank takes the issue of youth unemployment seriously, that is why the Bank initiated the Youth Employment Support (YES), which is a US$ 250 million program that IDB has launched in a number of its member countries including Tunisia and Egypt.
The 2nd Annual IDB Youth Development Forum is part of the series of activities preceding the 38th Annual Meeting of the Islamic Development Bank which holds from 21-22 May 2013. The Forum was well attended, with presentations from the World Bank, International Labour Organization and representatives from youth organisations in Tajikistan.