The Department of Youth and Sports was established pursuant to Resolution No. 5/49-LO of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) adopted by its forty-ninth session, held on 17-18 March 2023 in Nouakchott, Islamic Republic of Mauritania. This step came as an emphasis on the need to give great importance to youth and sports issues in the work of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) by raising the level of representation on youth and sports issues in the OIC system, and to also emphasize the centrality of youth issues in the work of the OIC and the need to enhance coordination of the efforts of the OIC, its subsidiary organs, and specialized and affiliated institutions operating in the field of youth capacity building and sports development in Member States, in order to achieve the goals set forth in the OIC Charter and in (OIC-2025: Programme of Action) in this regard, and to enhance cooperation with all international and regional organizations, including United Nations agencies, to contribute to confronting the challenges that young people face in the economic, social, cultural, scientific, moral, religious, psychological and intellectual fields.

 

Vision

Strengthening cooperation between Member States in the field of youth development and sports to build a nation based on peace, security and justice, in which the protection of youth rights to be considered as human rights, and provide the necessary conditions to enable young people to use their full potential and ensure their effective participation in building their societies.

 

Mission

Working to achieve the principles and objectives of the OIC Charter and the OIC-2025: Programme of Action in the field of youth development and sports, by making the organization a source of support and protection for young people, involving them in formulating and implementing policies and programmes, and benefiting from their opinions and ideas in all areas of common interest.

Implementation of the tasks assigned to the Department in accordance with the relevant OIC resolutions and in cooperation with all departments in the General Secretariat and the relevant institutions, organs and committees of the OIC in order to achieve comprehensive and sustainable social development in Member States.

 

Objectives

According to the OIC-2025: Programme of Action, the Youth and Sports Department seeks to achieve the following strategic goals:

• Building youth capacities and promoting youth exchange programmes;
• Improving youth employment strategies, providing quality education and developing entrepreneurial capabilities and vocational skills;
• Activating sports in Member States;

 

Tasks and activities

Under the supervision of the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural and Social Affairs, the Youth and Sports Department carries out the following tasks:

• Preparation for holding the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers in coordination with the relevant organs and institutions of the OIC, including preparation of the report of the Secretary-General submitted to the conference and the necessary documents submitted to the conference in addition to follow-up on the implementation of the resolutions issued by the conference;
• Contribution to the preparation of the reports of the Secretary-General in the field of youth development and sports submitted to the sessions of the Islamic Summit Conferences and the Council of Foreign Ministers;
• Preparation of annual reports on the OIC efforts in the field of youth and sports development and follow-up on the implementation of the resolutions issued by the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers and the OIC relevant resolutions adopted by the Islamic Summit Conferences or the Council of Foreign Ministers and on the progress made in implementing the OIC Youth Strategy and the OIC Action Plan for Sports Development, in accordance with the tasks assigned to the General Secretariat under the OIC Charter, resolutions and (OIC-2025: Programme of Action);
• Cooperation with national institutions working in the field of youth and sports in Member States in order to follow up on the implementation of the OIC resolutions in the field of youth and sports development, the OIC youth strategy, and the OIC action plan for sports development within the framework of joint Islamic action;
• Coordination and cooperation with the subsidiary organs, specialized and affiliated institutions of the OIC, and international and regional organizations partnering with the OIC, including United Nations agencies concerned with youth and sports;
• Urging the subsidiary organs and specialized and affiliated institutions of the OIC to pay attention to youth and sports issues and coordinate their efforts in order to hold activities in the field of building youth capabilities, enhancing their participation, developing sports, building partnerships, and examining ways to mobilize resources to finance youth projects;
• Follow up on global events related to youth and sports, especially in Member States, and inform the Secretary-General of them;
• Providing proposals / advices to the Secretary-General in the field of youth development and sports;
• Coordination with relevant organs in order to conduct studies and research on problems and issues related to youth in Member States;
• Establishment of a framework for cooperation among Member States on matters related to youth and sports, especially in the areas of economic, social and spiritual development;
• Activation of sports and matches between Member States, in order to achieve cooperation and rapprochement;
• Coordination with SESRIC to prepare the OIC report on the situation of youth in the Islamic world, which the OIC issues every two years with the aim of highlighting the main areas in youth development policies and programmes;
• Coordination with national institutions working in the field of youth and sports in Member States in order to organize events to commemorate the OIC Youth Day, which falls on September 3 of each year, with the aim of raising awareness about youth issues and enhancing cooperation among countries to exchange experiences within the framework of joint Islamic action;
• Representing the General Secretariat in conferences, meetings and seminars related to the fields of youth and sports in which the General Secretariat is invited to participate.

 

Basic files

• Youth issues;
• Development of sports;