LEBANON – The Ministry of Youth and Sports, in partnership with UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), launched a series of “Youth Consultative Meetings” as a first step toward developing the National Youth Strategy 2026–2030.

The event was held at Lebanese University – Hadath campus, in the presence of ministers, UN representatives, university presidents, and students from across the country.

Lebanese University President Bassam Badran emphasized that the strategy will be built on the voices of young people to address challenges such as unemployment, migration, and instability, with a focus on decent job opportunities, modernized education, stronger civic participation, and a supportive environment for innovation.

For her part, UNFPA Representative AnanDITA Philipose stressed the importance of ensuring young people have “a seat at the decision-making table,” highlighting key themes including mental and reproductive health, the digital space, environmental issues, and youth, peace, and security.

UNICEF Representative Marco Luigi Corsi commended the Lebanese government’s commitment to engaging youth in policymaking.

Minister of Youth and Sports Nora Bayrakdarian underlined the adoption of a participatory “bottom-up” approach in drafting the strategy, outlining ten main pillars, including education, employment, health, digital responsibility, and migration.

Minister of Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh focused on the challenges of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, while Minister of Education Rima Karami called for moving from consulting youth to establishing genuine partnerships with them.

The meeting concluded with the presentation of the draft strategy, with further consultations to follow in order to finalize a national roadmap extending through 2030.