HIBAPRESS
Youssef Dbiei, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, affirmed on Tuesday in Marrakech the pivotal role that Morocco plays in strengthening international and regional initiatives aimed at establishing security, peace, and development.
Dbiei highlighted, in a speech during the opening session of the “Islamic-African-Arab Dialogue on Democracy, Peace, and Security” events, organized under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, within the framework of the “Marrakech, Capital of Islamic World Youth 2025” program, the unwavering attention that the Kingdom gives to dialogue between countries, peoples, civilizations, and cultures. He highly praised the Kingdom's continuous support for the efforts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in various fields, to promote the process of joint Islamic action and strengthen the spirit of solidarity and cooperation among member states. He pointed out that the organization of this dialogue comes at a very delicate and complex international and regional time, where challenges are increasing and transformations are accelerating, which directly affect security, stability, and development, expressing deep concern about the phenomenon of involving young people in the cycle of conflicts, acts of violence, and terrorism. In this context, he stressed that young people, with their creative energies, renewed vision, and ability to bring about positive and constructive change, form the cornerstone of any strategy aimed at strengthening peace, security, and stability. Dbiei also called for strengthening prevention and awareness systems, fortifying young people through education, empowering them with decent economic and social opportunities, developing a responsible media and cultural discourse that enhances the values of dialogue, moderation, and centrism, as well as strengthening regional and international cooperation and upgrading policies that ensure the protection of young people, the preservation of their rights, and support their positive participation in building peace and sustainable development.
For his part, the representative of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum, Mohamed Mehdi, emphasized the key roles that young people play in achieving peace and stability, calling for the involvement of young people in decision-making policies and empowering them with the necessary mechanisms in order to transform their voice into an effective proposing force. He pointed out that this dialogue, which constitutes an interactive space for young people to share their experiences and propose innovative solutions and approaches towards achieving peace, comes at a time when many Islamic countries face great challenges that make young people more vulnerable and suffer from instability. For his part, the director of the Marrakech Capital of Islamic Youth 2025 events, Mohamed Ouzian, highlighted that the dialogue on democracy, security, and peace is among the topics that attract great attention from young people, in an attempt to find common links between these three topics for their contribution to promoting growth and prosperity. He noted that this dialogue significantly intersects with the Kingdom's comprehensive vision in supporting South-South cooperation, especially through the “Atlantic Initiative” launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, and what it provides in strategic prospects for the Sahel countries in regional economic integration. He added that the dialogue also focuses on the pioneering royal initiatives in the religious and humanitarian field, especially the Mohammed VI Foundation of African Scholars, the Mohammed VI Institute for the Training of Imams, Male and Female Guides, and vocational training programs for African youth, which have become a regional reference in spreading the values of moderation, building the capacities of young people and enhancing their participation in peace and development efforts. As for the representative of the Arab League, Badr Sweileh, he considered that the forum constitutes a space for rephrasing the major questions facing the countries of the region in a way that preserves stability and security, and establishes a democracy that responds to the cultural specificities and civilizational identity of Arab and Islamic countries, and makes young people an original partner, not just a witness to the transformations. He added that the convening of the forum at this time “reflects a deep awareness that the region needs a new discourse on peace, stability, and democracy in a way that establishes a conscious vision that draws lessons from history, interacts with the present, and anticipates the future without separation from the reality of the Arab and Islamic person and his rights and aspirations.” This three-day dialogue aims to enhance the participation of young people in democratic decision-making, and to consolidate peace and security, by examining mechanisms for activating their contribution to public policies, as well as to strengthen cooperation between Islamic, Arab, and African countries in the fields of peace and sustainable development, which makes this open dialogue a practical and scientific platform for collective thinking and joint action, for inclusive democracy, lasting peace, and development capable of fairness, justice, dignity, and stability. The program of this dialogue, organized by the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication (Communication Sector) in partnership with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum and the Arab League, includes three dialogue sessions that address topics of concern to “Youth and Participation in Decision-Making to Enhance Security, Democracy, and Preserve Stability”, “The Role of Youth in Preventing Extremism and Promoting a Culture of Peace”, and “Youth Partnerships and Alliances for Sustainable Peace”.
