2nd Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers wraps up in Jeddah

Africa » Gambia

Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation ministers of Youth and Sports conference yesterday concluded in the Saudi Arabian capital of Jeddah, which was held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdulaziz, the general president of Youth Welfare, President of Sports Federation of Islamic Solidarity and chairman of Youths Council in Islamic countries, chaired the two-day conference.

After having reviewed a host of recommendations on the relations between youths and labor market, impact of immigration on the social roles of youths, the wide and effective participation of youths in the social life, care of youths in the areas witnessing occupation, disputes and wars, the impact of sports on youths, the conference issued a number of resolutions.

The session also adopted a set of reports and documents on the promotion of youth and sports issues in the Muslim world, which includes the adoption of the “Executive Plan for the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Dialogue among the Followers of Religions and Cultures”, and thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for launching this historic initiative and pioneering civilisation project aimed at fostering the values of peace, security, harmony and tolerance, and highlighting the contribution of Islam and Muslims in this regard to the best interest of humanity at large.

It also commended the study conducted by ISESCO on the Initiative and its Executive Plan, which proved a true expression of the Islamic world's vision of dialogue among the followers of religions and cultures.

Besides, it invited the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF), being the secretariat of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports ministers, to coordinate with ISESCO, the OIC and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) to implement the programmes on intercultural dialogue and alliance of civilisations under a joint comprehensive action plan within the framework of the Initiative and its Executive Plan.

The Conference further invited the ISSF and ISESCO to publicize the Draft Executive Plan for the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue on a large scale in the Member States, research centres, universities, regional and international organizations and civil society institutions.

By the same token, it invited the ISSF, through the OIC Youth Council, and ISESCO to implement programmes within the framework of the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and its executive plan, for the benefit of Muslims outside the Islamic world, with a view to redressing stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in cooperation with the competent governmental parties, specialised educational and cultural institutions, and the relevant regional and international organisations and bodies.

In addition, the Conference commended the report by the ISSF Secretariat and all its previous activities, including training courses to produce Sports and technical leaders and Sports championships aimed at meeting sporting Youth in OIC Member States and extended thanks to the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian Olympic Committee for hosting the Third Islamic Solidarity Games Palembang city in South Sumatra in (September 2013) and for the support provided in ensuring the success of this major sporting event.

It invited Member States to host Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation conferences and programmes, including Islamic Solidarity Games, as well as the OIC and its affiliated organs to provide material and technical support to assist ISSF in achieving its objectives.

The Conference welcomed the signing of the operation agreement between ISSF and ISESCO and emphasized the need to hold joint activities under this agreement and to coordinate on projects and programmes of common interest. It also emphasized that the Federation should continue the function of secretariat of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat.

In the same vein, the Conference decided to constitute a consultative committee under the chairmanship of chairman of the 2nd Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers and membership of the OIC, ISESCO, the ISSF, the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation, and six experts representing the Arab Group, the Asian Group and the African Group selected on the basis of states' nominations to review the objectives and procedural functions in light of the change of the Council's name, to propose organisational structure and management and technical units for the Council, and to mandate the Conference chair to adopt the Committee's recommendations.

The Conference invited all Member States of the OIC to participate in the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games Baku 2017 and urged national Olympic committees to participate effectively and positively in this major sporting event, which fulfills the main objectives of the Federation-solidarity among youth of the Islamic Ummah.

The Conference took note of the Broad Lines of the Draft Strategy for Promoting Youth Issues in the Islamic World and invited Member States to provide the ISSF and ISESCO with their observations and proposals regarding the document in order to study and comment on them. It also invited the ISSF, being the Secretariat for ICYSM, and ISESCO to develop a Draft Strategy for Promoting Youth Issues in the Islamic World and to include it in the Provisional Agenda of the Conference's 3rd session, in coordination with the Conference chair and the OIC.

The Conference invited the ISSF and ISESCO in coordination and cooperation with relevant international organizations and bodies to implement more cultural, sports social activities for the benefit of youth, particularly in the areas of training and openness to and acceptance of others.

The Conference adopted the Draft Practical Guide for Protecting Youth from the Risks of Social Networks, while inviting the competent parties concerned with youth issues in the Islamic world to circulate this document to public institutions, associations and youth clubs to adopt it as a resource material for meetings and training sessions, and to submit law proposals on the protection of young people against the crimes associated with the use of the Internet, particularly social networks.

The Conference also invited the ISSF and ISESCO to organise activities for the youth in the Member States on the occasion of youth, sports and scout meetings in the Islamic world and during the Islamic Solidarity Games, in a bid to raise awareness of the legal aspects of the negative uses of Internet applications.

The Conference adopted the document on the "Project for Protecting Youth in Islamic Countries against Sports Fanaticism", and invited Member States, along with regional and international organizations, to take measures for protecting youth against sports fanaticism and addressing its adverse implications at all levels. It also underlined the need to enact appropriate legislation, boost the role of specialized institutions in this regard, and adopt practical mechanisms to counter such a phenomenon at the level of youth and society in general.

It stressed the importance of encouraging all mass media to fight all types of sports fanaticism and invited the concerned authorities to develop awareness programmes for the prevention of sport fanaticism among youth. It further invited the Member States to seek inspiration in this document for their relevant policies and measures.

The Conference decided to hold the third session, in the Republic of Turkey, in 2016.

Author: Baboucarr Camara