Sisi witnesses closing ceremony of WYF in Sharm el-Sheikh

CAIRO – 10 November 2017: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and his wife participated on Thursday in the closing session of the World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh, in the presence of Parliamentary Speaker Ali Abd al-Aal, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, as well as a number of ministers and senior officials.

At the beginning of the ceremony, the president was briefed on the most important activities conducted during the forum, which lasted for five days under the theme ‘We Need to Talk.’ The first round of the conference was held with the participation of 222 speakers and 3,200 youths from 113 different nationalities.

The forum discussed many key issues related to youth such as counter-terrorism, refugees, illegal immigration, sustainable development, technology and entrepreneurship, the role of arts and culture in the face of conflicts and wars, and youth rehabilitation. The forum also held a Security Council simulation model.

The organizational committee screened a documentary about the experiences of a number of young people from Egypt and around the world, representing successful models in various fields, some of whom were honored by Sisi.

Sisi pointed out that the forum meetings show the world that youth have the ability to debate and exchange visions about many topics of common interest.

“It was a great opportunity to see this rich cultural diversity, that showed – with no doubt – that civilizations can be integrated and coalesced for the sake of mankind,” said Sisi.
The president paid tribute to the organizational committee of the forum for its remarkable efforts coordinating the event.

“This world, full of conflicts and wars, faces enormous political, economic, social and environmental challenges that cannot be solved except through relying on young people… They can make their own way for a world without violence, ignorance, disease, or poverty. It is a crucial step, not a luxury.”

Sisi tasked the organizational committee of the first and biggest international youth conference in the Middle East to take necessary measures to establish an international center on Arab-African youth dialogue.

He also ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with all relevant world bodies and the United Nations to adopt the outcomes of the Security Council simulation model conducted during the conference.

The president called on the organizational committee to coordinate with associated state agencies to turn WYF into an annual conference.

On the other hand, the first edition of WYF recommended the establishment of a center for cultural communication between Egyptian and global youth in coordination with the ministries of culture, tourism, education and planning.




Furthermore, the forum’s organizational committee will establish an African Youth Center to bring African youth together and benefit from their ambitious ideas.

The president called on the National Youth Academy for Training and Empowerment, established in Egypt in 2016, to put a plan for cultural exchange with similar centers all over the world to provide scholarships for youth.

The main outcome of the forum was to develop a strategy to confront extremism, terrorism and illiteracy by the beginning of 2018. During the inauguration speech on Sunday, Sisi stressed the importance of counter-terrorism, adding that Egypt spares no efforts in fighting extremism.

“Terrorism violates and destroys our human nature. The fight against terrorism is a right to humanity,” Sisi said.

In addition, the National Academy for Youth will hold workshops and activate the mechanisms of acquaintance and dialogue among global youth.

Sisi called on the organizing committee to form a committee of experts from different countries to develop an international strategy to address illegal immigration, extremism and illiteracy issues. This strategy will be discussed during the upcoming forum in 2018.
Finally, the president mandated the cabinet expanding the financing of small and micro enterprises to support Egyptian youth seeking to launch their own projects.

The WYF brought together 3,000 young people, represented by 60 international delegations, in an effort to explore key issues facing youth and determine their role in implementing global development goals and combating terrorism.