NEWS

ICYF Strongly Condemns the Opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem

ICYF Strongly Condemns the Opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem

Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) strongly condemns the opening of the US Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, as this unfortunate act violates the political, legal and historical status of the city of Jerusalem. The opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem is a clear defiance of international law and relevant resolutions, a radical departure from the international consensus on the status of Al-Quds Ash-Sharif and a major threat to the regional peace while also undermining the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis.

ICYF recalls and emphasizes the international stand of 21 December 2017, when 128 countries voted in favor of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution condemning the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and calling on countries not to move their diplomatic missions to the city. The resolution in case also affirmed that “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council, and in this regard, calls upon all States to refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem.”

ICYF, while underscoring the centrality of the cause of Al-Quds to the Islamic Ummah, expresses its support to all peaceful actions throughout the world which are against this injustice and calls on the OIC Member States and Institutions to scale up their support towards the activities of the “Al-Quds Ash Sharif – OIC Youth Capital 2018” international programme implemented by ICYF.

Board of ICYF
14 May 2018

The Third Day of the Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum Continued With an Inspirational Panel: “Investing in Technology and OIC Start-up Platform: Changing Entrepreneurship Paradigms in OIC Geography”

The third day of the Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum continued with an inspirational panel: “Investing in Technology and OIC Start-up Platform: Changing Entrepreneurship Paradigms in OIC Geography”, addressed by Mehmet Fatih Kacır: Chairman of Board, Turkish Technology Team Foundation (T3), Mr. Serdar Gürbüz, Digital Innovation Manager at Türk Hava Yolları (Turkish Airlines) and Board Member at T3 Foundation (T3 Vakfı).

Mr Ahmet Halit Hatip, Director of International Projects at ICYF, presented the strategic achievements of ICYF-which DC initiated OIC Startup Platfom Project, as unique structure for Young Muslim entrepreneurs that brings together leading startups, high level experts and investors together as well as the platform’s role in increasing overall technical knowledge and developing the business capabilities of the startups through intensive online/offline trainings.

Mr Fatih Kacir, Chairman of T3 Foundation, highlighted the necessity of substantial structural and perceptional transformation of the economic structure in the OIC geography by establishing start-up friendly eco-system for supporting Youth entrepreneurship that is critical to establishing competition and innovation-based economies. Moreover Mr Kacir also expressed his gratitude for organizing the OIC Startup Expo, as a joint project of ICYF and T3 Foundation on the sidelines of Teknofest Istanbul Technology Festival, where 25 Startups from OIC member states will have the opportunity to showcase their work.

While expressing the dedicated support of the T3 Foundation to technological progress of youth entrepreneurship, Serdar Gürbüz, Digital Innovation Manager at Turkish Airlines and Board Member at T3 Foundation, also announced a special prize for the winners of the 4th Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum by broadcasting Pitching videos of the first 10 start-ups in the “Invest on-board Application” of the inflight entertainment program of Turkish Airlines.

The second day of the 4th Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum continued with workshop trainings

The second day of the 4th Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, one of the annual investment summits of the Start-up Platform for OIC Countries Project by ICYF, continued with workshop trainings followed by one-on-one coach training sessions, offered by leading experts, for the eligible 50 start-ups.

In the first session of the workshop Training; Mr Artur Ustimov, Co Founder of Aktivo.ru offered customer development training for startups as well as “Formation and Prioritization of Business Hypotheses” while Mr Nabeel Akmal, Former Director of Plan9 and Anchor of famous Business Show ‘Croron’, provided a training workshop on key insights of public speaking which is crucial to startups looking to attract investors during investment pitching.

In the second session of the workshop trainings; Assoc Prof. Zeljko Tekic, University of Skoltech offered an interactive workshop on innovation experiments to increase innovative capacities of the participants. The second training session of Dr. Tekic included a lecture entitled “Intellectual Property, trade secrets and Templates” where he highlighted substantial building blocks about international intellectual property law for start-ups.

Another Milestone ICYF’s Achievement at the Closing of the 45th CFM in Dhaka

Another Milestone ICYF’s Achievement at the Closing of the 45th CFM in Dhaka

At the closing of the 45th OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), OIC Member States adopted Resolutions, including that of the ICYF that endorsed decisions of 4th Islamic Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports (ICYSM), held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan, on 17-19 April 2018, therefore opening the door for the immediate implementation of the OIC Youth Strategy, as well as renovation of the Joint Youth Action Plan (JYAP) for the years of 2019-20.

Member States also recognized the important role of the ICYF in the convening of the 1st Youth CFM through insertion of new paragraph 08 into the Resolution No 4/45-CUL on Social and Family Affairs, section D on “Promoting Youth Building Capacity in the Islamic World”, while appreciating the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for having coordinated such event with the ICYF in Dhaka, on 04 May 2018, as the youth segment of the 45th CFM in implementation of the initiatives proposed at the brainstorming session at the Ministerial level on “Youth, Peace, and Development in a World of Solidarity”, held during the 44th CFM on 11 July 2017 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Additionally, the same Resolution called on the host of the 46th CFM, which is the United Arab Emirates, to consider organizing the 2nd edition of the Youth CFM in 2019 in coordination with the OIC General Secretariat, The ICYF is, therefore, ready to start preparations of such gathering the youth of the OIC Geography whenever the host country of the 46th CFM finds it appropriate.

It should be mentioned here that the ICYF’s achievement was further reiterated in paragraph 24 of the unanimously adopted Dhaka Declaration.

The 4th Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, one of the annual investment summits of the Startup Platform for OIC Countries Project (OSP) of ICYF took off with an official opening ceremony

The 4th Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, one of the annual investment summits of the Startup Platform for OIC Countries Project (OSP) of ICYF took off with an official opening ceremony in which Mr. Insaf Galiyev, Chief Executive of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency, Mr. Ahmet Halit Hatip, Director of International Projects, Mr. Anton Grachev, Director of Kazan IT Park, Mr. Timur Suleymanov, President of Selet Youth Movement, addressed 50 selected startups from 21 OIC Member States.

Following online training in finance, marketing, and business plan development; 50 Eligible startups were selected out of more than 2000 applications and invited for an intensive training camp to receive instruction from leading experts throughout OIC Member States, on business acceleration, preparation for investment, and business finances in preparation for the OIC Startups Grand Investment Pitching Session of the 4th Kazan OIC Youth Entrepreneurship forum which will take place with the participation of around 20 investors from OIC member states on the sidelines of the 10th Kazan Summit.

DHAKA DECLARATION

DHAKA DECLARATION
45th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

We, the Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations of Member-States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), participants of the 45thSession of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC held in Dhaka, on 5-6 May 2018, under the theme “Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace and Development”, declare as follows:

24. We commend the convening of the 1st Youth CFM, held in Dhaka, on 04 May 2018, as the youth segment of the 45th CFM in line with decisions of the special brainstorming session at the Ministerial level on “Youth, Peace and Development in a World of Solidarity”, held during the 44th CFM on 11 July 2017 in Abidjan. We appreciate the Government of Bangladesh for coordinating with the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF) the holding of such important youth gathering, and we call on the host of the 46th CFM to consider organizing the 2nd edition of the Youth CFM in 2019 in coordination with the ICYF and recognized national youth institution.

For full text of declaration, please visit the below link:
https://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=18652&t_ref=10334&lan=en

4th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, 17-19 April 2018, Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan

4th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers, 17-19 April 2018, Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU DECLARATION

“We, the delegates of the OIC Member States that have attended the 4th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers (ICYSM) held in Baku, the Republic of Azerbaijan, on 01-03 Sha’ban 1439 A.H., corresponding to 17-19 April 2018 …

Boycott all youth and sports related events being organized and held in the occupied territories of the OIC Member States by the occupation powers and forces.

Express our gratitude to the 4th ICYSM’s Organizing Committee composed of the OIC General Secretariat, the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF), and Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), as well as the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan as the host for their efforts to hold the 4th session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers in a successful manner.

Wish the 4th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers to lead to fruitful outcomes for the youth and sports of the Islamic Ummah and hope to see concrete progress in the implementation of resolutions and recommendations made during the Conference and look forward to the 5th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers in Saudi Arabia in May 2020.

May Allah bless us in the efforts we exert for the benefit of the Islamic Ummah.”

Please, follow the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) link below to read the full text of the Declaration covering the important issues related with youth and sports development in the Member States.

https://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=18601&t_ref=10314&lan=en

In the 3rd day of the First Ever Model OIC Arabic for High Schools, youth delegates comprising 170 students from more than 40 OIC Member States

In the 3rd day of the First Ever Model OIC Arabic for High Schools, youth delegates comprising 170 students from more than 40 OIC Member States, were actively engaged in the simulation of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, where they intensely discussed and lobbied for relevant resolutions on Al-Quds, including on political, economic, human rights and youth policy. In the spirit of Islamic Solidarity towards the just cause of Al-Quds, those resolutions and the Istanbul Declaration were unanimously adopted by all participants within the rules of procedures implemented in the meetings of OIC.

It should be noted that, the youth delegates have placed high dedication, sincerity and efforts towards ensuring that all aforementioned documents would mirror the concerns the Muslim World has in regards to Palestine.

The First Ever Model OIC for High Schools, organized by ICYF in Cooperation with Beyoglu Education&Cultural Foundation, furthers with diplomatic simulations following to intense diplomatic trainings.

The First Ever Model OIC for High Schools, organized by ICYF in Cooperation with Beyoglu Education&Cultural Foundation, furthers with diplomatic simulations following to intense diplomatic trainings (Resolution writing, Diplomatic negotiation skills, lobbying). Delegates of the programme, 170 students from more than 40 OIC Member States has been attending following committees, acting as ministers of esteemed OIC Member States in diplomatic simulations.

The Diplomatic Simulation Topics of the First Model OIC for High Schools as follows;

• Al-Quds Committee – Towards OIC Common Position in Adressing the Challenges of Jerusalem’s Recognition as the Capital of the Occupying Power
• The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the OIC – Towards OIC Common Market and Promotion of Economic Integration; The Right Path for Unity and developed Muslim world.
• Youth Policy – Assessing Youth Networks and Roles in Facing Pressing Issues within the OIC Geography; The Need for Improved Activism and Empathy in the Just Cause of Al-Quds and Palestine
• Human Rights Committee – Addressing Human Rights Violations in the OIC Geography; The Need for Coordinated Efforts at the International Arena for Protection of Palestinian Basic Rights in Al-Quds