The Second Entrepreneurship Summit titled “Entrepreneurship, Values and Development” was held in Istanbul, December 3-6. 

The Summit is the follow-up of the US President Barack Obama`s initiative, which began in 2009 in Cairo, and the First “Entrepreneurship Summit” hosted by the US Government in 2010. Special session themed “Young generation’s response to development challenges: Islamic Countries Youth Entrepreneurs Network (ICYEN) – new platform for young entrepreneurs in OIC countries” was organized by OIC Youth Forum in the event attended by the ministers of some countries, US Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, US President’s Special Envoy in OIC Rashad Hussein, also up to 5000 guests. The session featured presentation of ICYEN founded in international conference organized on November 22-23 in Baku by the Azerbaijani Government and OIC Youth Forum.

A presentation of international award “Ten young Muslims who can change the world”, which was founded at the initiative of Vice-President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, General Coordinator of Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation Leyla Aliyeva, was also held as part of the Summit. Speaking in the session, Secretary General of the ICYF-DC Elshad Iskandarov, as well as representatives of Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRTCIC) and Turkish Union of Chambers and Stock Exchanges hailed Leyla Aliyeva`s relevant initiative and underlined that ICYEN and “Ten young Muslims who can change the world” Awards would contribute to the prospects of youth entrepreneurship.

The speakers added that ICYEN will be a platform for young businessmen and create opportunity for information and experience exchange, stimulation of business activity towards economic development.

The attendees supported the proposal to include the decision on ICYEN being part of the world business strategy into the final resolution of the Summit.