Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
From New York, where the 80ᵉ session of the United Nations General Assembly is held, Algeria has affirmed its unwavering attachment to youth, erected in absolute priority by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. Responsible for representing the Head of State in Reunion devoted to the 30ᵉ Anniversary of the World Youth Action Program, the Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security, Abdelhak Saïhi, has delivered a nourished plea, recalling the strategic choices made by Algeria and denouncing, in the same breath, the injustices and tragedies that are still subjected to the world and more particularly the Palestinian youth from Gaza.
From the start of his intervention, Mr. Saïhi noted the decisive nature of this international meeting which he described as “stopping necessary to assess the achievements and measure the extent of the challenges”. This was indicated by a statement from the ministry.
While recognizing that advances have been noted, he said: “Young people continue to come up against major obstacles in an uneven and fractured world. “This requires” a renewed collective commitment in favor of more ambitious and equitable actions “.
The Minister thus presented the vision of Algeria, based on the conviction that “youth is a sustainable and intelligent resource, capable of guaranteeing international peace and security”. Stressing that, the key lies in “massive investment in the training, education and participation of young people in the design and implementation of public policies”. Maintaining that “there is no sustainable development possible without youth, there are no universal objectives achieved without it”.
Supporting figures, Saïhi recalled that youth represents almost 70% of the Algerian population. A demographic reality which gives this category a decisive weight, but also a historical responsibility. This is why, President Tebboune placed young people “at the heart of the national youth plan” currently in preparation, a plan that aims to channel their energy and their creativity towards the construction of a modern and prosperous state.
In addition, the Minister wanted to highlight the financial and structural efforts made by the Algerian state. “Algeria devotes important resources to guarantee free education, health care and the development of sports infrastructure,” he said, also stressing “the promotion of economic entrepreneurship of young people” by innovative mechanisms. The most striking example remains, according to him, the creation of the Higher Youth Council (CSJ), an advisory body which finally gives this category a strong and institutional voice in national decision -making.
Beyond the Algerian case, Mr. Saïhi has expanded his remarks to the whole of world youth. “It is imperative to allow all young people, wherever they are, to share their future vision on an equal footing,” he argued. For this, he called to take into account the disparities between developed countries and development nations, as well as the particular situations of societies faced with war, poverty or lack of resources.
The cry for Palestine
When he approached the situation of the young Palestinians, the minister’s tone was more serious. With heavy words, he denounced “the tragic situation” experienced by the children and adolescents of Gaza. Deploring that “three decades after the adoption of the global program, they continue to face a ruthless war machine, repeated assaults and a multifaceted genocide that uses all means, including systematic famine as a silent weapon”. Mr. Saïhi recalled that the Palestinian youth, despite deprivation and injustices, keeps imprescriptible law “to live in peace, to have access to security, and to dream of a promising future”. Stressing that Algeria will never cease to support this cause, which it considers a universal fight for human dignity.
The representative of Algeria concluded his intervention by welcoming the symbolic and practical scope of this UN meeting. Affirming that it must “open the way to a richer dialogue between governments and representatives of youth, in order to identify their expectations, recognize their aspirations and develop a global and balanced vision”. This vision, he added, “must lay the foundations for a credible global strategy for the empowerment of young people and the consecration of their role as a central force in the construction of the future”.
Through this intervention, Algeria has thus made a strong voice heard, that of a country which considers its young people as the spine of its development and which intends to carry this message at the international level, by inscribing it in active solidarity with the peoples in struggle, starting with the Palestinian people.