history-imageIn 1949, an initiative was undertaken to establish a youth organization to promote global cooperation and understanding amongst the young people of the world. Recognizing the needs for a universal youth organization, youth leaders from national youth councils of all member countries of the United Nations were invited to attend an international conference in London. In August 1949, the international conference held at Westminster Hall in London established the World Assembly of Youth, WAY.

The draft charter, which had been prepared in February 1949 in Ashbridge, England, was ratified at the first official meeting of WAY in Brussels a year later. The meeting, organized by the Belgian Youth Council, was attended by more than 100 young people from 37 countries. The WAY charter was ratified by 29 of the national youth councils present, and WAY began its work on behalf of the world youth community.

The WAY headquarters has moved throughout the years to various bases including Brussels, Paris, London and Copenhagen. In 1999, the WAY headquarters moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and now has finally established its headquarters building, the World Youth Complex, in Melaka, a southern state of Malaysia.

Past and Present Presidents of WAY

1949-1952            President: Maurice Sauvé (Canada)

SG: Paul Mercereau (France)

1952-1956            President: Guthrie Moir (Britain)

1956-1958            President: Antoine Lawrence (Guinea)

1958-1962            President: Ravindra Varma (India)

1962-1964            President: Carlos Delgado (Peru)

1964-1966            President: Romeo Naione (Canada)

1966-1969            President: Alessandro Berti (Italy)

1969-1972            President: PreterShidex (Austria)

1972-1975            President: Thomas Sandiford (Guyana)

1975-1993            President: Ole LovigSimonsen (Denmark)

1993-2010            President: Datuk Seri Mohd Ali bin MohdRustam (Malaysia)

2010-2014            President: Datuk Ir. IdrisHaron (Malaysia)

SG: EdiolaPashollari (Albania)

WYBG

In 1952, the World Youth Bank Group was formed to undertake the creation of a network of global partners that would provide unique services to our clientele. The Group would be the hub for distribution or allocation of projects and resources to meet the demands of agencies focused on supporting the WAY’s charter and objectives.

The expansion of the group has grown with the inclusion of the WYBN, WYB, Diplofin and the Global Immigrant Group. All support the MEA Peace Mission and various other foundations that seek like-minded objectives to promote global cooperation and peace; that encourages sustained economic development and equality.

SPECIAL RESOLUTION

In 2002 establishing conference of the World Youth Bank was held at the Brijuni Islands in Croatia at the World Youth Assembly of Youth European Regional Youth Dialogue (Regional Youth Dialogues serve as part of obligations for global consultations of Youth and UN system through WAY as member of Technical Committee of UN Secretary General’s Youth Employment Network).

Special Resolution on the World Youth Bank

  1. Drawing on the Declaration of Youth as a Global Banking & Financial Resource, adopted at European Youth Dialogue 2002;
  2. Realizing that unemployed youth, at a global, regional, national and local level is a respectable labor resource. Not only that, youth is a respectable economic, social, political, financial security, intelligence, and cultural power. As the UN Secretary- General Kofi A. Annan said in his Global Alliance for Youth Employment – Recommendations of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Youth Employment – “In the next ten years 1.2 billion of young women and men will enter into working age population, the best educated and trained generation of young people ever, a great potential for economic and social development.”
  3. Witnessing the emergence of new knowledge economies with their networked societies that for a Global Digital World.
  4. We, the Global Youth, believe that the right time has come for the full realization of the youth banking and financial potential.
  5. A youth banking system can:

(a)  Ensure an effective promotion of entrepreneurship among young women and men;

(b)  Provide betters know-how and information on market opportunities;

(c)  Organize training in business skills;

(d)  Access the sources of capital and financial services; and

(e)  Become a mentoring service to support other business activities.

  1. The concept of a World Youth Bank Network represents the oncoming New Cosmopolitan Praxis of the imminent One World of Tomorrow. Sustainable banking strategies of a World Youth Bank represent new forms of “virtual banking” – intensive investment in ideas and knowledge based on a new understanding of realities virtually and virtuality’s reality. In other words, investing in the Future will be the WYB’s long term development strategy, compared to traditional capital relationships where investments were being done in a manner to prolong the socio-economic relations of the Past.
  2. The World Youth Bank shall:
    1. Improve and develop the quality of life of youth around the World
    2. Fight unemployment, ignorance and youth social exclusion by providing fast access to low-cost capital and life-long learning facilities to all segments of Global Youth and Civil Society.

We the participants of the MIYD 2002, hereby resolve to establish a Global Youth Banking and Financial Network, and call upon the United Nations system, governments, private sector and civil society to support us in this endeavor.

DEVELOPMENT

From 2002-2005 development of WYBN with the working group on poverty alleviation of the UNECE for Europe-Geneva.

World Youth Bank Network (an international organization responsible for establishing of the World Youth Bank) was established upon the Special Resolution on the World Youth Bank adopted in August 2002 in Melaka, Malaysia by World Assembly of Youth by legal representatives of more than hundred National Youth Councils of UN member-states.

Since then WYB project develops within the framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and in collaboration with UN DESA and the Secretariat. Outcomes of this cooperation are the following:

  1. Recommendations of the First UNECE Forum on Youth in Geneva 2002 to elaborate World Youth Bank project through United Nations system
  2. UNECE official issues including World Youth Bank platform development:

UNECE: “Youth at the UNECE Region: Realities, Challenges and Opportunities” (2003)

UNECE: “Youth of the XXI Century: Realities and Perspectives (2004)

At the 60th United Nations General Assembly (2005) official Youth Delegate of the Republic of Croatia (supported by a number of Youth Delegates of other UN member-states) introduced the World Youth Bank project to the participates of the Assembly. World Youth Bank Network held its presentation as one of key perspective policy-instruments for implementation of UN World Programme of Action for Youth (WPAY) as well as UN MDGs, recognized and regarded as valuable and significant contribution to the UN Youth Agenda by the UN GA participants and the UN DESA, with the central theme of intensive investment in Youth on all levels.

MEMBERSHIP

In 2009, WYBN became a member of the United Nations Global Compact

In 2010 established WYBN International Advisory Board in New York, US led by UN Diplomatic review editor-in-chief Ms. Gloria Starr Kins.

In 2011 established WYBN Regional offices in Baku, Azerbaijan for CIS, in Melaka, Malaysia for South-East Asia, in Dubai for Middle East, in London for EU, in Accra, Ghana for AU, in Washington for North America, in Mexico City for South America.

In 2011 established WYBN Global Twin Projects of construction of WYBN Trade Towers in Niagara Falls (US) and Melaka (Malaysia). Perspective East-West Youth Air Bridge Project connecting Niagara Falls and Melaka International Airports established.

Work on strategic collaboration with US & Canada native Indians started.

In 2012 established key structural Project of WYBN Civil Banking & Finances Institute located in Vienna, Austria.

DECLARATION

In 2011 adoption of the WAY Declaration which paves the way ahead for strategic WYBN & WAY collaboration in the future:

11th Melaka International Youth Dialogue

“SHAPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS” 26-30 JUNE 2011

EVERLY RESORT HOTEL MALACCA, MELAKA, MALAYSIA

DECLARATION (Highlights)

In a working partnership, WAY and World Youth Bank Network recommend the following:

3.1 To propose to United Nations Security Council to establish Youth Watchdog under UN Security Council because the youth of today are both victims and perpetrators of worst crime and terror acts of contemporary human history.

3.2 To propose to World Bank to actively participate in the feasibility of broadening of global financial infrastructure to a sector of Direct Youth Financing under the World Youth Bank standard-setting system.

3.3 To propose to International Labor Organization (ILO) to open an international dialogue for standardization of labor rights of virtual workers, such as part-timers, project-oriented, and mobile global workforce of the future entrepreneurs

WYB ESTABLISHMENT

2012- 2015

WYB ESTABLISHMENT

According to the WYBN Project, in 2012-2015 the World Youth Bank is projected to established as the International Financial Institution target-focused on Youth Empowerment (Education, Employment, Equality, Employability), consisting of altogether 192 National Youth Banks (all UN member-states) within the WYBN standard-setting umbrella.

In strategic collaboration with WYBN Civil Banking and Finances Institute in Vienna, Austria perspective, the WORLD YOUTH BANK will serve as proactive platform for empowerment of FINANCIAL RIGHTS of youth worldwide promoting their equality, human and all related Rights (social, economic, cultural, etc).

“We have not inherited the Earth; we are only temporarily borrowing it from the oncoming generations.”