The IYCW was invited to the 42nd Session of the General Conference of UNESCO held at the organization's headquarters in Paris, France, from November 7 to 22, 2023. As an official partner of UNESCO, the IYCW was invited to share its views on the issues currently on UNESCO's agenda.
Basma Louis, the president of the IYCW, stressed the importance of raising awareness among young people by providing training spaces to compensate for the failure of public institutions, and so that young people do not consider traditional and social media as an alternative for developing their analysis of the current situation in the world.
“Social media have become a space for unchecked information; fake news and historical revisionism have flooded them and are promoted by those who profit from the distortion of history. We are witnessing clear white supremacy and racism in dealing with different conflicts in the world today, which is having an impact on our mentalities, our sense of security and our vision of humanity, leading to a questioning of our future,” declared Basma Louis.
She also spoke of the centenary of the IYCW in 2025 and the importance of our existence as an educational movement: “In 2025, the IYCW will celebrate its 100 years of existence, 100 years of space offered to young people from all over the world for their training and education, because our educational mission is one of our essential tasks, which consists in making young workers aware not only of their labor rights, but also of their rights as human beings and respect for one another.”
In her concluding remarks, Basma Louis emphasized that UNESCO's contribution to peacebuilding through international cooperation in education and guidance is immeasurable thanks to its joint work with social organizations.
She concluded her speech with these words: “Let’s continue on this path to build a peaceful future for the new generations.”
