Abu Dhabi: The UAE will on Monday celebrate International Youth Day, which falls on August 12 every year.

This year’s event sheds light on international efforts to provide education for the youth. It also discusses ways to focus on youth issues and promote them as a powerful tool for achieving sustainable development goals.

The UAE is harvesting the fruits of its long-term efforts of supporting and preparing the youth.

Since the establishment of the UAE in 1971, the country has adopted a clear national policy and strategic plans to empower the youth and develop their capabilities. Education, an environment for innovation and national policies have helped create suitable job opportunities to help the youth play an active role in the UAE community.

The Cabinet formed in February 2016 was called ‘Cabinet of Future’ for including eight young new ministers, whose average age was 38, including Shamma Bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, who assumed the post at the age of 22 to be the youngest minister in the world.

Saeed Saleh Al Rumaithi became a member of the Federal National Council (FNC) at the age of 31 to be the youngest member in the FNC’s history.

In 2016, the Cabinet adopted the establishment of the Emirates Youth Council under the leadership of Al Mazrui.

The council undertakes various tasks, including developing a youth work system in the UAE, setting and mapping out strategies and policies for young people in line with the UAE’s future approaches. It also identifies challenges faced by the youth in various sectors and propose solutions to overcome them.

The council’s tasks also include proposing necessary solutions to ensure positive participation of young people in society across various sectors.

It also prepares studies on the role of youth in developing the society by opening all channels to hear their views and the challenges they face to provide the necessary solutions to boost their positive participation in various sectors in the country.

The UAE Cabinet has approved the formation of the Federal Youth Authority to encourage young people to get involved in key sectors of the economy. It is responsible for coordinating with local youth councils with the aim of setting an annual agenda for youth activities in the country and ensuring that the objectives, plans, strategies and activities of these councils are in line with the general plans of the country in this regard.