BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. The Islamic
Development Bank (IsDB) Group convened the 14th Youth Development
Forum under the theme “Youth Without Borders: Driving Shared
Regional Prosperity,” bringing together government officials,
development practitioners, youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and
academics to explore how regional integration can create new
opportunities for young people across IsDB Member Countries,
Trend’s correspondent reports.
Held on the sidelines of the 2026 IsDB Group Annual Meetings in
Baku under the theme “Regional Integration for Sustainable
Prosperity,” the Forum examined how stronger regional cooperation
can advance youth employment, entrepreneurship, mobility,
innovation, and sustainable development.
Opening the Forum, Idrissa Dia, Director of the Resilience and
Climate Action Department at IsDB, underscored the importance of
youth empowerment in advancing sustainable development and
strengthening collaboration across IsDB Member Countries.
Anar Karimov, First Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic
of Azerbaijan, highlighted that investing in young people is among
the most strategic investments a country can make, noting that
education, skills development, and regional cooperation are key to
unlocking the full potential of future generations.
Prof. Adalat Muradov, Rector of Azerbaijan State University of
Economics (UNEC), stressed the role of education, entrepreneurship,
and regional collaboration in expanding opportunities for youth and
supporting long-term national development.
Speaking on behalf of the host country, Farhad Hajiyev, Deputy
Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
emphasised that empowering young people through innovation, skills
development, and international cooperation is critical to fostering
sustainable prosperity and enhancing regional connectivity.
A high-level panel discussion titled “Youth Without Borders:
Regional Cooperation as a Catalyst for Youth Empowerment” featured
Dr. Ramil Maharramov, Adjunct Professor at ADA University and
Senior Consultant at the World Bank; Guldana Dadashova, Supervisory
Board Member of the European Youth Parliament Azerbaijan and Deputy
Chairperson of NAYORA; Rahim Bayramli, Co-Founder and CEO of
SABAH.HUB and Co-Founding General Partner of the SABAH Fund; and
Maryam Majidova, international youth and gender expert, founder of
Gender Hub Azerbaijan, and member of the COP29 Organising
Committee.
Panellists highlighted the need for stronger regional
cooperation frameworks that support youth-led businesses,
facilitate knowledge exchange, and expand opportunities for young
entrepreneurs to engage in cross-border trade and digital
economies. Discussions also underscored the importance of ensuring
youth voices are meaningfully represented in the design and
implementation of regional cooperation initiatives.
The Forum concluded with a call for stronger collaboration among
governments, development institutions, academia, the private
sector, and youth organisations to develop scalable solutions that
empower young people and contribute to sustainable regional
development.
