A seminar entitled “Youth and Peace” was held in Ashgabat, in the UN building, dedicated to recognizing the achievements of young participants in the FutureSkills4All initiative and awarding the winners of the “Youth and Peace” poster competition.

The event was held within the framework of the project “Promoting Resilient Communities to Prevent Violent Extremism in Central Asia”, funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNDP in Turkmenistan in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of Turkmenistan.

The event recognized the achievements of young people participating in the FutureSkills4All initiative, a programme offering over 60 online courses to acquire marketable skills. Participants shared their experiences gained through the initiative, which has provided around 660 young people in Turkmenistan with access to Coursera, a leading online learning platform.

The programme covers a wide range of areas including globalization, AI, digital skills, accounting, marketing, HR, IT support, cloud computing, UX/UI design, cybersecurity, project management, renewable energy and sustainable cities.

Narine Saakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan noted:

“We are pleased to support the FutureSkills4All initiative, which helps young people prepare for a competitive and rapidly changing labour market. Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our young participants. Their dedication and efforts are truly inspiring, and I am confident that the skills they have acquired will enable them to make a significant contribution to the development of Turkmenistan”.

Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Turkmenistan Hosaka Hideki emphasized that it is the younger generation that will determine the future of Turkmenistan.

“Japan intends to continue to cooperate in training personnel of Turkmenistan, including the younger generation. We hope that the participants of this training will be able to successfully apply the knowledge they have gained to further develop their careers”, - he said.

The seminar included an award ceremony for the winners of the UNDP “Youth and Peace” poster competition, which was organized to encourage young people to share their vision of how they can contribute to building peace and positive change in their communities.