Sarah Badr, the Spokesperson for the World Youth Forum (WYF), said that convening the fourth edition of the WYF despite the coronavirus pandemic confirms the ability of young people to organise this global event.
The WYF is a platform that aims to foster dialogue between youths from around the world. It will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh between 10-13 January under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Badr said in an exclusive interview with the Middle East News Agency on Monday that most of the arrangements and organisational issues related to this edition have already been completed.
She added that the turnout of young people to register in the fourth edition of the forum exceeded all expectations, explaining that more than 500,000 young men and women from 196 countries from across the globe have registered on the forum’s official website.
Furthermore, she said that Africa came at the forefront of the continents participating in the forum due to Egypt’s strategic location and for being an integral part of Africa, as well as its constant support for African youths, which was evident during the previous three editions of the forum.
Regarding the criteria by which participants in the forum are selected, Badr indicated that diversity is taken into account to ensure a strong participation by the attendees and leave room for foreign ideas, noting that there was no objection to accepting applicants that have participated in previous editions, however, first-time applicants were prioritised.
On the topics that will be discussed in the forum, Badr explained that due to the pandemic, the focus of the forum will be on the coronavirus and the post-pandemic world.
She added that development initiatives from around the world will also be discussed in the forum, including the Presidential Decent Life Initiative, which is a successful Egyptian example of a development initiative that keeps the UN’s sustainable development goals in mind and has received much global acclaim.
Climate change will also be discussed, especially now that Egypt is set to host the UN’s 27th Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27). The recommendations that the WYF’s attendees will come up with will also be presented during the COP27 and other international platforms.
Badr assured that all precautionary and preventive measures are being taken for the event. All participants will be required to be fully vaccinated and practice social distancing. Thermal cameras will also be available in the venue and periodic PCR tests will be conducted throughout the event.
