Hassan Al -Sitry
International Youth Day for 2025 comes to focus on the contribution of local youth work in achieving the goals of sustainable development, and calls for thinking more than 2030, as this day stresses the importance of youth’s role in transforming global goals into concrete achievements at the level of societies.
With development partners seeking to adapt global goals in proportion to local contexts and trying to find compatibility with national and international obligations, young people appear as major partners in this approach, as they contribute to their creativity and communication with their local societies to bridge the gap between policies and applied vision. Considering that most of the purposes of sustainable development are related to local government, the involvement of young people becomes an essential factor, not just a choice.
Sustainable development partners
The 2025 International Youth Day has great importance, as it coincides with the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of the World Youth Work Program, which is still an important framework for enhancing the role of youth as a key partner in sustainable development and participatory governance. The topic, which is chosen for this year, clearly reflects these principles, as the related discussions seek to prepare the Second World Summit for Social Development scheduled in Doha during the month of November. As the world enters the last stage to achieve the goals of the 2030 agenda, the International Youth Day highlights the urgent need to adopt comprehensive policies and programs that invest the local work for youth to push the sustainable development process forward.
This day draws attention to the vital role of local and regional governments as the closest to societies, which gives them the ability to support comprehensive policies and innovate mechanisms that make young people an effective party in the process of planning and decision -making. By integrating youth visions within the strategies of these governments and enhancing cooperation with youth organizations, partnership with this vital category can be strengthened and turned their ideas into practical solutions with a direct impact.
With this approach, local governments become an incubator for creativity and civil participation of youth, which not only supports the achievement of sustainable development goals, but also contributes to forming future leaders and enhancing the leadership of young people in developing their societies.
Leadership support for youth
The Bahraini youth receive great attention and the continuous support that His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of the country, receives a strong basis for their empowerment, and reflects the deep faith in their vital role in serving the country and enhancing its development and prosperity.
Young people also have the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, through clear support that is manifested in qualitative initiatives and innovative projects that provide them with wide opportunities for creativity and effective contribution in various developmental fields.
In addition, the role of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, headed by His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Affairs and Youth Affairs, which aims to achieve integration in the aspects of activity in the youth and sports sector to form a social, mental and physically good citizen.
Laws and initiatives to empower young people
There are also laws and initiatives that enhance the participation and empowerment of young people in Bahrain, and seek to create a supportive environment that supports their development and invests in their capabilities through multiple areas. From the legal frameworks to social and economic programs, these efforts focus on achieving a balance between empowering young people and their rehabilitation to become positive changes in society.
Among the most relevant legislation includes laws such as Law No. (21) of 1989, which regulates the establishment of youth societies and institutions, in addition to decisions that enable youth bodies to work within air -conditioned systems, such as Resolution No. (2) of 2022 related to financial affairs for these centers. Also, the decree of the establishment of the Hope Fund provides direct support for youth initiatives and projects in order to enhance their entrepreneurship.
In the economic field, initiatives such as empowerment and the hope fund seek to provide financial and guidance support to entrepreneurs, and the “Pepan” program also reviews leadership ideas for young people in front of investors to expand the horizons of their projects. On the digital side, the electronic participation policy facilitates linking young people to the government through digital channels; This enhances transparency and joint dialogue. In the political field, the age of electing deputies and municipalities was reduced from 21 to 20 years.
Moreover, educational programs such as the Youth Leadership Program in partnership with the United Nations (YLP) opens the doors for young people to learn about sustainability and leadership thinking. In the cultural and social field, events such as the Bahrain Summer Festival and the “Y Shabab” initiative are focused on developing creativity and enhancing the cultural identity of youth.
These initiatives and laws target fundamental goals such as raising the percentage of youth participation in decision -making, supporting entrepreneurship, training and qualifying youth to enter the labor market, and enhance their initiative and creativity. These successive and varied efforts embody the future visions of Bahrain towards building a strong society in which young people interact directly and fruitful to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development.
Supporting strategies and plans
As for the bodies and institutions, the Ministry of Youth Affairs represents the beating heart of this movement, as it leads strategies and plans that support youth’s participation at political, economic and cultural levels. Centers include training, guidelines, and community participation opportunities aimed at enabling young people to reach the stage of productivity and financial and social stability.
For its part, the head of the Services Committee in the House of Representatives, Jalila El -Sayed, affirmed that the celebration of the International Youth Day, which falls on August 12 of each year, is an occasion to renew the national commitment to support the energies of Bahraini youth and address the challenges facing them, foremost of which is the unemployment file, and opening broader horizons for them to innovate and participate in building the country.
She pointed out that the Parliamentary Services Committee, through its legislative and supervisory tools, works to support legislation and policies that allow young people qualitative job opportunities in promising sectors, such as modern technologies and creative industries, while enhancing training and qualification programs in line with the requirements of the changing labor market.
She added that Bahrain, thanks to the royal high vision and continuous government support, established an integrated system to empower youth, but the next stage requires raising the pace of joint work between the legislative and executive authorities and the private sector, in order to provide practical and sustainable solutions to youth challenges.
For his part, the Chairman of the Youth Affairs Committee of the Shura Council, Reda Mnafdi, affirmed that this global occasion is a station for evaluation and inspiration for the successes achieved by young sons and daughters of Bahrain in various scientific, cultural, sports and pioneering fields.
He pointed out that the prominent achievements that were achieved for young people, and contributed to reaching the advanced centers in the cultural, artistic, sports, and other fields, are only the fruit of high care and unlimited support from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the king of the country, thanks to his insightful vision and wise policies that established firm foundations for empowering young people, to be active partners in the comprehensive development process.
Mennai noted the great support that the Kingdom’s government attaches to the chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, who was embodied in the ambitious national programs and initiatives sponsored by the esteemed government to invest the energies of youth and open more prospects for innovation and creativity for them.
