Doha embarking on virtuous role as Capital of Islamic Youth

As we celebrate the arrival of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Youth Capital to Doha, the country has hit a crucial milestone of hosting the Doha Muslim Youth Forum from July 7-11, 2019, at the Qatar National Convention Centre in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Sports of State of Qatar and Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Centre.
The forum was structured around the themes of good governance and transparency among young people; youth and sustainable development; youth and the safe use of social media; and diplomatic simulations.
Youth delegates from 56 different countries along with 20 Qatari representatives were exposed to an interactive, experiential process leading to the youth declaration which included various policy suggestions and action items in relation to the themes of the event.
Doha, as the youth capital of OIC for 2019, thereby brings together key characteristics of OIC and Qatar’s global influence which include humanitarian action, youth empowerment and mobilising collective efforts to tackle global challenges.
As an organisation acting as a catalyst for solidarity in the Muslim world, OIC’s commitment to youth empowerment has been fostered through one of its leading affiliates, namely the ICYF Secretariat.
By advancing ICYF’s mission in the country, Qatar has already begun implementing its extensive plan of achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs or Global Goals are an interconnected set of goals agreed upon by all UN member states to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure global peace and prosperity.
*Qatar and SDGs 
The SDG Index and Dashboards Reports present revised and updated annual assessments of progress of all UN member states in achieving the Global Goals and provide rankings of countries by the aggregate SDG Index of overall performance.
The current SDG Global rank for Qatar, according to the 2019 report, is 91 out of 162 countries with an index score of 66.3, which is 0.6% higher than the regional average score.
These figures display a major improvement from the previous year as Qatar was placed at 106 out of 156 with an index score of 60.8 while the regional average score was 62.1.
Moreover, the 2019 report states that Qatar is doing remarkably well at trying to achieve SDGs 3, 4, 7 and 16, which are good health and well-being; quality education; affordable and clean energy; and peace, justice and strong institutions respectively.
Similarly, while some challenges are being faced in achieving the rest of SDGs, their scores are moderately increasing.
Qatar is continuously striving to achieve the SDGs and the ICYF demonstrates Qatar’s strong commitment to the process of promoting global humanitarian values and peace for all.
The Doha Muslim Youth Forum was a crucial event to help Qatar step closer to SDG 17 of partnerships for the goals, which calls for strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising global partnerships for sustainable development.
During the forum, delegates explored research areas for building future development strategies and built their capacity to face civilisation and development challenges.
Moreover, they were encouraged to learn how to use modern means of communication in promoting values of inclusion and citizenship and trained on diplomatic simulation mechanisms.
The ceremony witnessed the presentation of thought-provoking documentary films exploring different subjects including the monitoring of the most important issues and aspirations of Muslim youth, culture of Qatar and the impact and work of the forum.
The final day was a simulation session for the drafting of decisions and the adoption of draft resolutions in the OIC.
Several topics were discussed at the forum including youth and social media, and diplomatic simulations.
The event involved multiple workshops, dialogues and innovations intended to create a space for young people to express themselves and their views on various issues that capture their attention.
During the closing ceremony, Taha Ayhan, Chairman of the Islamic Co-operation Forum for Youth, said that this was a historic day for Muslim youth and praised the organisers for providing a platform to the youth that can help them contribute to the development of Islamic societies.
Ayhan also reiterated the importance of the forum in defending the interests of young people, supporting sustainable development, formulating plans to promote education, strengthening the moral values and promoting entrepreneurship.
Lastly, he called on the future diplomats to implement the lessons and skills they learned at the forum back in their countries.
Forthcoming Events In co-operation with the Qatar Red Crescent Society, the Doha Youth Volunteer Campaign invites youth from Muslim countries to register for participation at the Doha Youth Camp for Voluntary and Humanitarian Work from October 28 until November 6, 2019.
The activities of the Doha Capital of Islamic Youth 2019 create an opportunity for young Muslims to exchange experiences and expertise in the field of volunteerism and humanitarian work.
Upcoming events as part of the Doha Capital of Islamic Youth 2019 include: human centered development; a youth creativity photo contest; an award ceremony for youth creativity short films focusing on “The Nation with its Youth”; and Doha Oasis for Innovation.
There are also several engaging workshops planned for the role of youth initiatives in achieving sustainable development, empowering youth in the field of education and training, impact of social media on youth cultural practices, youth and the safe use of media and the contribution of social media to social responsibility.
Exciting training courses will also take place related to Model Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (Model OIC) and the rules and procedures of the OIC model.
With Qatar actively fulfilling its role as the capital of Islamic youth, it is already on its way to achieving the SDGs.
Events such as the Doha Muslim Youth Forum are an excellent example of showcasing how Qatar recognises the importance of investing in homegrown youth leaders to innovate the country from within.
Future plans to celebrate Doha’s designation as capital of Islamic youth include collaborating with more than 20 local partners for exciting and educational events, including the upcoming Maker Majlis in September.
The Maker Majlis, an initiative taken by the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, is an innovative space that connects the UN SGDs, aimed at making the world a better place for everyone by 2030, with Qatar National Vision 2030, Islam and faith.
Qatar continues to create exciting opportunities for youth locally and globally to influence change, take action and learn more about ways in which Qatar and other countries can achieve the SDGs.

* Bayan Khaled is a Research Fellow at College of Islamic Studies, HBKU. 
* M Evren Tok, Assistant Dean of Innovation and Community Advancement, College of Islamic Studies, HBKU.