Assistant-Secretary General for Youth Affairs visits Bahrain

Dr Felipe Paullier, Assistant-Secretary General for Youth Affairs and Head of the UN Youth Office, visited Bahrain from 3 to 8 November to participate in launching the “Hope Network”, a global youth support network initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain.

"My visit to Bahrain has been an incredible opportunity to connect with inspiring young leaders and support the launch of the Hope Network, a platform that brings together governments to exchange best practices and strengthen initiatives with and for youth," said Dr Paullier, highlighting Bahrain's crucial role in hosting this initiative.

He also emphasised the role of such a platform during a time of global momentum in youth empowerment, which requires maximising cooperation and collective efforts. 

Dr Paulier explored with Bahraini officials, including His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, H.E Ms Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, and H.E. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al Noaimi, Minister of Information,  impactful opportunities to empower youth.

"Every moment has been focused on amplifying youth voices and building impactful partnerships. We look forward to scaling up our collaboration to support young people in Bahrain and beyond," he said.

Dr Paullier also met the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Bahrain, discussing how empowering young people by providing spaces for their meaningful engagement can deliver on the UN's Youth2030 strategy. 

"Mainstreaming youth issues is our best chance to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030", he told the UNCT. 

"The UNCT will build on the outcomes of this visit to continue working with partners to engage and empower Bahraini youth," said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Mr Khaled El Mekwad.

The Hope Network’s mission is to advance youth affairs through global policy exchange and strategic national planning to fully leverage the potential of youth as a vital human capital resource. The network also has initiatives to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), allowing youth to launch their own initiatives and creating a helpful environment to support such efforts.

This aligns with the UN Youth Office, which leads system-wide collaboration, coordination and accountability on youth affairs, balancing how the United Nations works with and for young people in all their diversity. 

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN Youth Office was created “to advance efforts towards stronger advocacy, coordination, and accountability for and with young people.”