JEDDAH: A conference to discuss the development of youth and sports is being held in Jeddah on Wednesday. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, together with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sports, is holding the fifth session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers under the slogan "Development of Youth and Sports for a Solidarity-based Ummah.” The three-day forum will discuss the situation of young people in OIC member states and the importance the OIC and its relevant bodies attach to developing youth and sports. It also seeks to enhance the capabilities of young people and advance their role in development to pave the way for stability, progress, and prosperity, combat the extremist and violent ideas propagated by terrorist organizations, and encourage dialogue, moderation, tolerance, and respect for others. The conference will discuss the commitment of member states to implementing OIC strategies on youth and developing sports to promote joint Islamic action in these two fields. It will also review the efforts made by member states and OIC bodies working in the fields of youth and sports, led by the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Women Development Organization. On the celebration of OIC Youth Day on Sept. 3, the bodys secretary-general, Hissein Brahim Taha, extended his sincere congratulations and blessings to all young men and women in the Islamic world. He singled out the Palestinian youth who lived under the Israeli occupation and the youth who lived in conflict zones in other member states. He said OIC Youth Day was an affirmation of the centrality of youth issues in the bodys priorities and an opportunity to commend the contributions of young people in improving the world and highlighting their essential role in development, building and strengthening peace and dialogue, and combating extremism and terrorism in member states. Taha called on member states and the international community to join efforts to enhance the role of young men and women in development so they were effective partners in advancing the global economic and social situation.