D-8 hosts inaugural Youth Bridges Programme at its Istanbul HQ

Türkiye's Istanbul hosted a landmark gathering of young minds on International Youth Day, as the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation rolled out its first-ever "Youth Bridges Programme," drawing university students from across the bloc's eight developing member nations who are currently pursuing their studies in the country. Held at the organization's Istanbul headquarters, the initiative was designed to open channels of cross-border learning and dialogue between young participants and a roster of policymakers, entrepreneurs and innovation specialists.

Secretary-General calls for youth-led transformation

Addressing the gathered students, D-8 Secretary-General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood walked participants through the organization's founding mission and its evolving priorities, underlining how member states have progressively sharpened their focus on youth engagement in recent years. "The future must be built with the youth," the Secretary-General told the audience, calling for expanded investment in young people's technical skills, creativity, digital fluency and entrepreneurial drive. Ambassador Sohail Mahmood went further, arguing that in an era being reshaped by artificial intelligence and shifting labor markets, young people must be equipped not simply to keep pace with change but to steer it. He also called for stronger cross-border platforms that let youth exchange ideas and convert innovation into practical solutions for shared regional challenges.

Experts tackle AI, entrepreneurship and innovation

The programme's expert segment drew representatives from several key D-8 partner bodies, among them the UNDP Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD), the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), MÜSİAD Genç, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), Bilişim Vadisi (Informatics Valley) and SESRIC. Sessions covered AI-driven entrepreneurship, the shifting future of work, values-based enterprise, and investment and networking opportunities for young business founders, alongside a broader look at youth trends across D-8 and OIC countries. Several speakers drew on firsthand entrepreneurial experience, including accounts of scaling a business into more than 40 countries.

Students question AI's impact on jobs

An interactive Q&A session followed, giving students the chance to put questions directly to Ambassador Sohail Mahmood and the visiting experts. Discussion ranged from artificial intelligence's implications for career choices and the labor market to the practical hurdles facing youth-led startups and access to regional markets and networks. Organizers said the exchange reinforced the case for connecting young people more directly with knowledge, opportunity and cross-border networks.

Building on a decade of D-8 youth diplomacy

Youth cooperation has steadily climbed the D-8 agenda at the highest political level. The bloc's 10th Summit, hosted by Bangladesh in 2021, was themed "Partnership for a Transformative World: Harnessing the Power of Youth and Technology," while the 11th Summit in Cairo in 2024 focused on "Investing in Youth and Supporting SMEs: Shaping Tomorrow's Economy." The Youth Bridges Programme is presented as the practical follow-through on that high-level vision, following on from the first D-8 Youth Summit in 2021, the 2024 Dhaka Declaration on Youth, and the 2025 Baku Youth Declaration. The initiative is also framed within the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, touching on goals covering quality education, decent work and economic growth, industry and innovation, and international partnerships.

Embassies and consulates back the programme

The event was organized by the D-8 Secretariat working alongside the embassies and consulates general of D-8 member states in Türkiye, with additional support from partner institutions. Proceedings closed with the presentation of certificates, a group photograph, and a networking reception that gave students further opportunity to connect with one another and with the visiting experts.