Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government of Bangladesh, called for the removal of all impediments within the education systems of the Developing Eight (D-8) countries, while speaking at the D-8 summit in Cairo on Thursday. Yunus stated the world is facing unprecedented challenges, and urged collaboration to empower young people.
The 11th summit of the D-8, an organisation for economic cooperation, began in Cairo on Thursday with heads of state and government from the member nations in attendance. These include Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.
Yunus stressed the need for partnerships between universities and educational institutions to provide increased opportunities for young people. Bangladesh leader also highlighted the importance of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), noting that technology would be key to unlocking significant potential for this demographic. Furthermore, Yunus emphasised the necessity of focusing on digital transformation and harnessing the benefits of artificial intelligence in future initiatives.
Egypt, which assumed the D-8 presidency in May, is hosting this year’s summit. It will hold the presidency until the end of next year. The theme of the summit is “Investing in Youth and Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises – Shaping Tomorrow’s Economy.” According to the Egyptian State Information Service, the summit will address strategies for confronting ongoing global economic and political shifts.
In addition to the main summit, bilateral meetings and other summits are scheduled to take place on the sidelines. These meetings will involve heads of state and other delegation members.
The D-8, also known as the Developing Eight, is a cooperative framework for development amongst its member nations. The organisation aims to strengthen economic and social ties through this collaborative structure.
