Sunday Okobi in Baku, Azerbaijan
The 14th Youth Development Forum at the ongoing Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, has brought together government officials, development practitioners, youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and academics from Member Countries to explore how regional integration can create new opportunities for young people across IsDB Member Countries.
Held on the sidelines of the 2026 IsDB Meetings with the theme: âRegional Integration for Sustainable Prosperityâ, the Forum examined how stronger regional cooperation can advance youth employment, entrepreneurship, mobility, innovation, and sustainable development.
While opening the Forum, Director of the Resilience and Climate Action Department at IsDB, Mr. Idrissa Dia, underscored the importance of youth empowerment in advancing sustainable development and strengthening collaboration across IsDB Member Countries.
Also, the First Deputy Minister of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Anar Karimov, 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.
On his own, the Rector of Azerbaijan State University of Economics (UNEC), Prof. Adalat Muradov, stressed the role of education, entrepreneurship, and regional collaboration in expanding opportunities for youths and supporting long-term national development.
Speaking on behalf of the host country, the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Farhad Hajiyev, 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 âYouth Without Borders: Regional Cooperation as a Catalyst for Youth Empowermentâ 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, who is also the founder of Gender Hub Azerbaijan, and a member of the COP29 Organising Committee.
These panelists 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.
Their discussions further emphasized the importance of ensuring the 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, as well as youth organisations, to develop scalable solutions that empower young people and contribute to sustainable regional development.
