A delegation from the Islamic Solidarity Sports Association (ISSA) participated in the United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum from 14 April to 16 April in New York City. The visit formed part of ISSA’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with key international partners and creating more opportunities for young people across its family of 57 member nations.

Representing the ISSA, Secretary General Mr. Nasser Majali and Director of International Relations Ms. Fatema Hayat engaged in a series of strategic diplomatic meetings.

During the visit, the ISSA delegation held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Ms. Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women and Under-Secretary-General of the UN. The discussion focused on increasing female participation in sports across the Islamic world and ensuring that the ISSA’s framework supports the global mandate for gender equality. Moreover, the delegation met with the UN Youth Office to explore synergies between the UN’s Youth 2030 strategy and ISSA’s programmes.

Another primary focus of the visit was a series of meetings with Permanent Representatives of ISSA member states to the United Nations, where discussions focused on exploring areas of cooperation and development.

Building on recent momentum from meetings in Jeddah, Majali also met with H.E. Ambassador Hameed Opeloyeru, the Permanent Representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the UN.