Baku – Republic of Azerbaijan | 1 November 2026
The Afro Arab Youth Council, represented by the Secretary-General, Eng. Huzyfa Elhassan, and the Assistant Secretary-General for Francophone Countries, Eng. Fadimatou Iyawa Ousmanou, participated in the official handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization (NAMYO), hosted by the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, marking the beginning of a new leadership term for the Organization for the period 2026–2029.
The ceremony was attended by a high-level official and diplomatic presence, led by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ambassador Yalchin Rafiyev, alongside the Organization's former Chairperson, Ms. Leyla Hasanova, representatives of diplomatic missions, and national, regional and international youth leaders, reflecting the growing importance of the Organization and its role in strengthening communication and cooperation among the youth of the Non-Aligned Movement countries.
The Council's participation in this international forum affirms its active presence in the multilateral youth action system and its commitment to strengthening bridges of cooperation between Arab, African and international youth institutions.
The occasion witnessed the transfer of leadership to the Chairperson of the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization, Mr. Muhammad Bello Bala-Shagari, who previously chaired the National Youth Council of Nigeria and served as the Organization's Vice-Chairperson for African Affairs, and who continues his role within the Afro Arab Youth Council as Coordinator of the West Africa Region.
This occasion holds special significance for the Afro Arab Youth Council, as it embodies the complementarity of leadership roles between regional and international youth institutions and strengthens the prospects for partnership and joint coordination in serving youth issues.
