As part of the Youth Platform of the MENA-OECD Business Advisory Council (BAB), BUSINESSMED attended the 1st meeting of MENA-OECD Youth Business Associations, held on 24-25 January 2019 in Paris and which aimed to further develop the strategy of the platform and to discuss priorities for the young enterprises.

The meeting brought together the new member organisations and allowed them to discuss the objectives, the governance, and activities of this new platform. The participants had the opportunity to discuss high-priority topics for companies led by young people from the MENA region and to share their experiences in different areas.

One of the sessions focused on the role of employers' organisations in policy-making, and in particular on how young leaders are represented. The aim was also to learn how different organisations mobilize to influence policies, interact with government and other employers' organisations. The cases of Spain, Italy, and Ireland were presented as models to be studied and analysed.