[Due to a technical problem, our standard news feature on the front page is temporarily out of order. Until it is fixed, the Bureau blog shall be used for this purpose.]

The International Federation of Liberal Youth held its semiannual Executive Committee in Beirut (Lebanon) on the 17th and 18th of July. It was preceded by a seminar on religion and politics on the 16th of July. Both events were hosted and organized by the Future Movement Youth Sector, IFLRY's Full Member in Lebanon.

Around 100 delegates from different parts of the world participated in the deliberations and decision-making taking place at the Executive Committee. On the 17th of July, the participants were received by Prime Minister designate Saad Hariri who exchanged his views for almost two hours at his residence in Beirut. Among the contributors to the events were Fredrick Federley, Member of Parliament for the Swedish Center Party, and Dr. Ronald Meinardus, Director of the Middle East programme for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty.

Among the decisions taken by the Executive Committee are the successful applications for Candidate Membership of the Free Youth Front (Egypt), El Ghad Liberal Youth Union (Egypt) and the National Liberal Party Youth (Lebanon). The IFLRY members also spoke out on various political issues as they adopted resolutions on, among others, climate change, human rights in Iran and the US trade embargo on Cuba.

The IFLRY Bureau would like to thank the Future Movement and its Youth Sector for its fabulous support in hosting this event. It would also like to thank the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom for its support in bringing members of the Arab Union of Liberal Youth to Lebanon.

For more information, please contact the IFLRY Office (office@iflry.org).

The adopted documents at this event as well as the minutes shall be uploaded here: http://iflry.org/files/33/default.aspx .