- UAE introduced its 'Youth Dialogue' model in Brazil during the BRICS Summit, engaging 40 Brazilian students on global issues.
- UAE’s BRICS Sherpa Saeed Al Hajeri stressed youth as key partners in solving today’s global challenges, not just future leaders.
- The initiative reflects UAE’s strategy to foster partnerships based on trust, with youth-driven dialogue as a core pillar of international cooperation.
The United Arab Emirates recently launched its groundbreaking 'Youth Dialogue' model in Brazil, representing an important step in youth participation. The move was also part of the UAE's overall participation in the BRICS Summit. The meeting was hosted at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Museum of Tomorrow, where 40 Brazilian university students from four universities convened. They discussed international cooperation, sustainability, and the global role of youth in determining global agendas.
Saeed Al Hajeri, UAE's BRICS Sherpa and Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs, chaired the session with Saleh Al Suwaidi, UAE Ambassador to Brazil. Al Hajeri underlined the value of incorporating the younger generation's voices in multilateralism. He said, "This conversation is the UAE's abiding conviction that multilateral action must welcome the voices, ideas, and aspirations of a new generation". He emphasized that young people are not only future leaders but critical allies in solving the issues of today.
The conversation highlighted the importance of Brazil as a counterpart for the UAE both within and outside the BRICS framework. Al Hajeri added that long-lasting collaborations are founded on trust and common goals, not only on trade and diplomacy. He added that frank discussions such as this one are the pillars upon which such collaborations are formed.
Al Hajeri also referred to the Arab Youth Survey, which has repeatedly listed the UAE among the top destinations for Middle Eastern youth over the last ten years. This is due to the UAE's safety, potential, and optimism. The UAE through such initiatives hopes to spread this sense of possibility throughout the BRICS grouping.
The event underscored the way youth dialogues can create global cooperation and sustainability debate among the youths. Through the involvement of students from other universities, the event was meant to encourage them to participate actively in solving global problems.
This project is part of a larger strategy by the UAE to engage youths in creating solutions for global issues of immediate concern. It is an indication of commitment towards the creation of relations based on trust and common interests.
The Rio de Janeiro Museum of Tomorrow session was proof of the power of open discussions to connect peoples across nations and generations. It was evidence of the role that young people's participation can have in steering global agendas.
