More than a quarter of the world’s 1.75 billion people aged 15-29 live in member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen said Tuesday at the 44th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Abidjan.
Al-Othaimeen, who was speaking on “Youth, peace and development in a world of solidarity,” reiterated that youth issues are a priority for the OIC.
Nearly 500 million 15-29-year-olds, 28.5 percent of the global total in that age group, live in OIC member states, he added.
“The current situation possesses opportunities and challenges,” he said. “If the capabilities of youth are properly harnessed, they can prove to be a huge asset for their countries and the world at large. They can be leaders and agents for societal change to promote peace and development and end poverty.”
He added: “We should intensify our efforts to address economic deprivation, political exclusion, social marginalization and the disintegration of families, which create fertile ground for extremist and terrorist organizations to recruit young people for their reprehensible goals.”

Source: Arab News