3-day MENA Children and Youth Conference concludes

The recommendations, contained in the Dubai Declaration issued at the end of the 3-day event, have underscored the significance of inclusive education and reaffirmed the participants' commitment to improve the well-being and quality of life for all children and youth, regardless of their age, gender, religion, ethnicity, disability, or social background.

The concluding session of the conference was chaired by Qassim Sultan, Director General of Dubai Municipality, and attended by Abdulla Al Nuaim, Chairman of Board of Trustees and President of the Arab Urban Development Institute, and Regina Bendokat, Sector Manager for Education at the World Bank.

"We, participants of the conference, consider young people as an asset and commit to empower all children and youth by facilitating their participation in decision making at all levels of governance.

We urge municipalities to implement their mandate to address children and youth issues, to seek further delegation of authority, and to improve collaboration with central governments," the declaration said.

More than 400 participants of the conference included ministers of education, mayors and other local authority leaders, World Bank officials, representatives of regional and international organizations (UNICEF, UNFPA, League of Arab States, AGFUND) and other agencies and individuals concerned with children and youth issues in the region and around the world, as well as children and youth representatives.

To enhance the quality of education, the Dubai Declaration suggested the following: Providing inclusive education for all children and youth;

Enhancing the role of local authorities in promoting and implementing multi-sectoral early childhood development approaches in collaboration with national authorities;

Enhancing and confirming the role of family in raising and educating their children through adhering to high values of religion and morals to safeguard them from hazards of extremisms and delinquencies;

Making education more relevant to the needs of the labour market in an interconnected world;

Enhancing the collaboration between local authorities and the private sector to ensure smooth transition from school to work, including mentoring, career counselling, internships, etc.;

Enhancing the role of local authorities in providing informal education and lifelong learning.

Strengthening remedial education for child labourers and out-of-school and unemployed youth;

Integrating schools in their communities and improving school safety, accessibility, design and physical environments;

Building quality environments (with safe, clean and appealing designs) that are accessible and connected with the surrounding communities, that promote age-appropriate uses and activities, and that offer meeting and learning opportunities to children and youth;

Involving and supporting families in effective education;

Reducing violence against and among children and youth in and outside of schools through awareness-building and interventions in families, communities and schools;

Promoting collaboration among local and central authorities to maximize the use of innovative learning approaches and tools, such as accessible technology;

Introducing and improving a network of libraries, science museums, youth clubs, etc.

To empower children and youth, the declaration suggested the following measures:

Providing the enabling environment to allow children and youth participation in the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions that affect their lives;

Networking and coordination among schools and local authorities to improve the skills and capabilities of youth;

and Strengthening partnerships with international, regional, and national authorities, local organizations, the private sector, and NGOs.

It also recommended to adopt an evidenced-based policy approach that builds on proper disaggregated data analysis, improved targeting, piloting, monitoring and evaluation and international best practices.

A common form of child welfare measures should be agreed upon and implemented on a pilot basis in selected cities in the region, the declaration said.

The participants have also recognised the tragic circumstances of children and youth in Palestine and Iraq and affirmed the need to protect them and to address their special needs.

The Dubai Declaration will be monitored closely by the organizers of the conference with coordination provided by the Child Protection Initiative. An annual report will be prepared and disseminated and a follow-up conference will be organized no later than December 2006 in collaboration with youth and other relevant development partners and municipal authorities.