KUWAIT CITY, March 13, (KUNA): His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah inaugurated here Wednesday the National Youth Conference, also held under HH the Amir’s patronage.
HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah was warmly received at the conference hall by Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah; Amiri Diwan Advisor and Head of the Higher Committee of the National Youth Project Dr Yussef Hamad Al-Ibrahim, and other members of the Higher Committee.

Also attending the inauguration ceremony were His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, National Assembly Speaker Ali Fahad Al-Rashid, senior sheikhs, National Guard Deputy Commander Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, High Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the top State officials and top police, army and National Guard commanders. The participating youth cheered HH the Amir’s attendance and sponsorship of the event.

Two memorial gifts were presented to HH the Amir on the occasion of the conference before he leaves after the opening session.

The opening speech of the National Youth Conference was delivered by Kuwait’s Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah.
In his speech, Sheikh Salman welcomed HH the Amir and all participants, expressing gratitude for HH the Amir’s participation and patronage of the conference.

He spoke in detail about HH Sheikh Sabah’s initiative to support and engage youth in public action and State development process. The Minister also shed light on the government efforts to materialize HH the Amir’s vision of expanding youth contribution to the progress and welfare of Kuwait.

“Our real wealth, which has not been yet fully discovered, is our youth who make up almost 60 percent of Kuwait’s population,” Sheikh Salman said.

He noted that the conference is the final phase of the first part of HH the Amir’s initiative, which focused on meeting with Kuwaiti youth from all walks of life to listen to and identify their initiatives, projects, ambitions, talents and grievances to help tackle them in the coming stages.

Sheikh Salman pointed out that the new post of minister of state for youth affairs clearly shows HH the Amir’s eagerness to support and help qualify youth to steer the state development process in the future.
He revealed that the government has approved a provisional structure to the office of the minister of state for youth affairs which comprises three sectors namely: the youth development, youth projects, and creativity, media and digital entertainment sectors.

The Minister made it clear that the role of the ministry will be confined to planning, coordination and guidance. The ministry will also coordinate with government bodies to overcome challenges and obstacles facing youth action.

The would-be national council for youth, which will be made up of youth from different sectors, will have a major role in the coming stage, Sheikh Salman added.

Meanwhile, Amiri Diwan Advisor and Head of the Higher Committee of the National Youth Project Dr Yussef Hamad Al-Ibrahim thanked HH the Amir for patronage of the event as well his support to all efforts aiming to increase youth role in the soceity.

He stated that the National Youth Project, since its inception, has exerted strenuous efforts in cooperation with government and non-government organizations to materialize HH the Amir’s youth-supporting imitative.

Al-Ibrahim identified the strategic goals which the National Youth Project seeks to achieve as:

1- Creating communication channels between the political leadership and youth groups.
2- Developing positive participation methods for youth in society issues.
3- Upgrading youth capabilities and skills and reinforcing their contribution to national unity.
4- Identifying youth ambitions and aspirations and developing ways to enhance these ambitions.
5- Identifying concerns and challenges facing youth in order to find appropriate solutions for them.
6- Engaging youth and seeking their views in government programs and development plans.
7- Preparing and qualifying promising future youth leadership to proceed with the development process.
8- Encouraging youth initiatives and inciting them to innovation and work in a democratic society.
9- Strengthening the national Kuwaiti identity, developing national cohesion, combating radicalism and fanaticism, and abandoning group sectarian, and tribal divisions among youth.
10- Bolstering the democratic and constitutional culture, reinforcing tolerance and diversity of views and opinions among youth.
11- Encouraging freedom of expression, laying the foundations of communication ethics and respecting individual opinions Al-Ibrahim expressed hopes the event would be a springboard for more action to achieve the noble goal of empowering youth and end up with recommendations and resolutions that live up to youth aspirations.

Then, Member of the Preparatory Youth Council Mohammad Hamoud Al-Bagali delivered a speech in which he voiced gratitude for HH the Amir participation in the conference.

He noted that the Kuwaiti youth were quick to positively respond to HH the Amir’s call for them to expand their contribution to the national economy and state development process.

Al-Bagali added that the work is in full swing at the Preparatory Youth Council to outline the main priorities and goals in the coming period and the best approaches to implement them.

Abdullah Subaih Bo-Fatain, another member of the Preparatory Youth Council, underscored the need for a national dream or project for which all Kuwaitis work to fulfill. He also called for the adoption of package of political, economic, judicial, social and educational reforms to give impetus to Kuwait development process.