Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani today chaired the regular meeting of the Supreme Council for Youth, marking the occasion of International Youth Day and the second anniversary of the Council's establishment. The meeting, attended by several ministers and advisers, focused on addressing youth issues and supporting initiatives aimed at developing and enhancing young people's skills across various fields.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sudani emphasized the need for innovative ideas to support youth development. Key decisions were made during the meeting, including reallocating 75 billion IQD from recovered agricultural initiative loans for youth-focused loans in agriculture, food security, and climate, under the Goodwill Initiative. This aligns with the Riyada Initiative's regulations.

The Council also announced the launch of the Youth Residential City project, aimed at providing affordable housing, and the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Tower in Baghdad to support start-ups and innovative ideas. Further, the Council approved the National Programming Competition and the National Languages Competition, which will select 50 young programmers and 50 youth proficient in foreign languages, respectively, for training at the American University of Baghdad in collaboration with the Iraqi National Bank.

In employment, the Youth Entrepreneurs Program was approved to train 500-1,000 young people in oil-producing provinces. The Knowledge Eyes platform and the Youth Ideas program were also launched to connect young entrepreneurs with private sector companies in the oil sector. Additional initiatives include distributing 1,000 portable charging wheelchairs to underprivileged individuals with disabilities, the National Network of Young Trainers to train 500 youth in sustainable development and life skills, and the Virtual Center for Addiction Treatment offering remote psychological support and counseling.