BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. The potential of the
young generation should be untapped, Director of Economic & Social
Infrastructure Department at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB),
Idrissa Dia, said at the 14th IsDB Group Private Sector Forum held
in Baku, Trend's
correspondent reports from the event.
"Today, we live in an era of the largest youth generation in
human history. And this is not a burden, but a tremendous resource
that must be effectively utilized. We must unlock the
transformative potential of this generation so that our countries
can look to the future with optimism," Dia also said.
He noted that one in five young people worldwide lacks
education, employment, or training.
"In our organization's member countries, there are about 250
million young people who aren't involved in economic development
processes. They are deprived of the opportunity to contribute to
the development of their countries, and this is a cause for
concern.
Furthermore, the situation varies significantly by region. For
example, in the Arab States, youth unemployment currently stands at
28%, the highest rate in the world. This should motivate us to take
decisive action," he emphasized.
Dia pointed out that the problem today is not a lack of talent
or ambition among young people.
"The challenge is rather to remove the barriers that prevent
young people from realizing their full potential in life and
contributing to the economic development of their countries.
This is where regional integration can be a transformative
force. Cross-border trade expands markets for young entrepreneurs
beyond national borders, and digitalization accelerates this
trend," he added.
