Kuwait 56th on Commonwealth Youth Development Index

The State of Kuwait has made a drastic improvement on the evidence-based Commonwealth's Global Youth Development Index (YDI), jumping to the 56th spot in 2016 from the 110th in the previous report issued in 2013.

The Kuwaiti success at this level has come as 183 countries compete to improve conditions of youth in terms of their development and opportunities they get in lives. Kuwait overall YDI score was at 0.678, covering developments in education, health and well-being, employment and opportunity, as well as civic and political participation.

The Commonwealth defines youth development as: "enhancing the status of young people, empowering them to build on their competencies and capabilities for life. It will enable them to contribute to and benefit from a politically stable, economically viable, and legally supportive environment, ensuring their full participation as active citizens in their countries." The YDI rank this year saw Germany topping the list of highest ranked countries followed by Denmark, and Australia.

The lowest ranked countries were Central African Republic, followed by Chad and Cote d'Ivoire. In this vein, Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah affirmed in a statement, he made following conclusion of His Highness the Crown Prince Shooting Tournament, that elevating Kuwait's YDI ranking constitutes an indication about development of the youth activities in the country since 2013.

His Highness the Amir's care for the youth activities is the main cause for this positive and substantial "boom in the youngsters' action" at the national level, he added. Speaking to KUNA on this issue, Undersecretary at the State Ministry of Youth Affairs Al-Zain Al-Sabah lauded the Kuwaiti improved rank, stressing that it was a "clear and outstanding achievement" on the part of Kuwaiti youth and a testament to the hard work carried out by the Kuwaiti authorities.

The undersecretary affirmed that the achievement has come as a result of the leadership and the people who worked together to further improve the situation of youth in the country. Al-Zain Al-Sabah pointed out that youth should be "invested in" not simply "nurtured" because they will contribute greatly in the advancement of the country, especially since they take up %72 of the local population. The Ministry of Youth Affairs has sponsored nearly 400 youth initiatives in many fields of thought and creativity.

"Mubadarat" is a website launched by the Ministry to allow young adults to translate their creative ideas and visions into tangible reality, she said. "Mubaratna" is another initiative that hosts more than 108 soccer fields across the country which are enjoyed by almost one million sports enthusiasts.

Another youth initiative but this time is sponsored by the Amiri Diwan is "Wathiq." It was organized by both the Ministry of Youth and the Ministry of Education. This initiative strives to instill positive educational and behavioral values in young people.

The Ministry also launched the annual "Kuwait's Award for Youth Excellence and Creativity," Al-Zain Al-Sabah noted. The KD-100,000 award encourages the youth to develop their creative side in many fields. "Lens Festival", takes place on March 13 of every year, is yet again another mean to push the youth to reach their full potential and express their creative side by showcasing artistic films, paintings and music.

All these initiatives have not been able to see the light without the sponsorship of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who ordered an Amiri decree 2013/8 to embrace the youth and provide them with every possible means in order for them to shine and excel in many aspects of life, for they are a true wealth and a great asset for this country, he emphasized.

The Global Youth Development Index, an initiative of the Commonwealth Secretariat, ranks 183 countries according to the prospects of young people in employment, education, health, civic and political spheres. It looks at 18 indicators including literacy and mental disorder rates, financial inclusion and voter engagement, the index both showcases the best-performing countries and serves as a warning light for low-scoring countries.

The index is guided by the Commonwealth definition of youth as people between the age of 15 and 29, while recognizing that some countries and international institutions define youth differently. The 2016 index and report is the successor to the Commonwealth's 2013 report, which highlighted key opportunities and barriers to improving youth development in the Commonwealth of Nations.