CIS Council on Youth Affairs to meet in Minsk in autumn

MINSK. March 14. KAZINFORM The CIS Council on Youth Affairs which met in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) on 14 March supported the initiative of member of the Council, Deputy Education Minister of Belarus Viktor Yakzhik on holding the next meeting in Minsk in autumn 2013, BelTA learnt from the press center of the Education Ministry.

The agenda of the meeting included over 20 issues. Among them was implementation of the state youth policy, the draft plan of events for 2014-2015 to implement the CIS international youth cooperation strategy up to 2020. The participants of the meeting were set to discuss the activity of the international youth organization Great Silk Way, formation of national delegations for the first session of the CIS IPA youth inter-parliamentary assembly, review educational seminars "Flashgun-Commonwealth". The agenda also included issues regarding the support of socially vulnerable youth, including the disabled, orphans, children from large families and troublesome families, refugees and forced migrants; organization and holding of joint volunteer projects; opportunities for revealing and supporting talented youth in public, creative and scientific activities; encouragement of competition as part of the innovation process; organization and holding of roundtables and meetings among young people to mark the 70th anniversary of the Great Victory.

Viktor Yakzhik told the members of the Council about Minsk plans to host an international forum of youth initiatives "Open Project - Youth Cooperation" in November. The forum will be held as part of the CIS international youth cooperation strategy and in line with the action plan of the Belarus' CIS Chairmanship Concept 2013. The event is aimed to encourage initiatives for uncovering the intellectual and creative potential of young people, formation of pro-active attitude, popularization of the best youth projects and initiatives, consolidation of efforts of youth civil organizations and other social institutes for the implementation of joint projects in the CIS, Kazinform cites BelTA.

Founded in 2005, the CIS Council on Youth Affairs unites Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Tajikistan. The major areas of work of the Council include cooperation between government bodies and civil organizations, implementation of the state youth policy, joint bilateral and multilateral projects, joint personnel training.