Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network Participates in the 3rd Neleni Forum in Sri Lanka 2025
Kandy – Sri Lanka | September 2025
The Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network (AYSDN) participated in the Third Neleni Forum, held in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, from September 4 to 14, 2025, with the attendance of around 700 participants from 101 countries. Among them were 45 participants from the Arab region, representing Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, Algeria, Mauritania, and Tunisia.
The 2025 edition of the Neleni Forum took place in a more complex global context compared to the 1990s, amid escalating environmental, economic, and social crises, the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza, and the fragmentation of labor and civil organizations across many countries.
The forum featured extensive discussions on key dimensions of food sovereignty, in addition to addressing issues related to social and climate justice. A solidarity day with the Palestinian people was also organized, including a symbolic march in Kandy led by local activists. Due to government restrictions, international delegations were not permitted to join the march; instead, they expressed their solidarity inside the main forum hall by raising Palestinian flags and chanting slogans condemning the massacres and supporting the victims.
Participants emphasized that organizing the forum at such scale under current global conditions represents an important and encouraging step toward strengthening dialogue and cooperation among global youth movements, and building new bridges of solidarity to confront shared challenges.
The Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network (AYSDN) was represented by its Executive Director, Mr. Mohammed Al-Yatari, who took part in sessions discussing the role of Arab youth in achieving food sovereignty and sustainable development in the region.
In a statement, Mr. Mohammed Al-Yatari said:
> “Our participation in the Third Neleni Forum reaffirms the Arab youth’s commitment to actively contributing to global discussions on social justice and food sovereignty. We firmly believe that solidarity among peoples and youth movements is the key to achieving fair and sustainable development, especially amid the deepening environmental and humanitarian crises the world is facing.”
