H.E. Mr. Taha AYHAN, President of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK at the SESRIC HQs in Ankara. The visit served as a platform to reinforce the existing collaboration between SESRIC and ICYF, with a strong emphasis on exploring new avenues for cooperation aimed at empowering youth across the OIC region.

H.E. SELÇUK emphasized that young population of the OIC countries embodies a significant demographic strength that must be harnessed for sustainable development. She underscored the critical importance of youth empowerment through targeted capacity-building initiatives, particularly equipping them with essential skills such as data analysis, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital marketing. These competencies are increasingly vital in addressing the ever-changing requirements of the economic sectors in the OIC Countries. Additionally, H.E. SELÇUK highlighted the need to proactively adapt to these changes for the overall socio-economic development across the OIC region.

On his part, H.E. Mr. Taha AYHAN highlighted that youth empowerment, capacity-building efforts, and the broader role of the OIC in fostering opportunities for the young population within its member states are the main fields of common interest to both ICYF and SESRIC. He highlighted the shared commitment of ICYF and SESRIC to advancing initiatives that will have a meaningful impact on the lives of youth in the OIC region.

The meeting concluded with both H.E. SELÇUK and H.E. Mr. AYHAN expressing readiness about the continued collaboration between the two OIC institutions and the potential benefits it will bring to the youth across OIC Countries.