Nguyen Ngoc Luong, Permanent Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and President of the Vietnam Youth Federation, speaks at a plenary session of the ECOSOC Youth Forum in New York on April 17. (Photo: thanhnien.vn) Addressing the event, Nguyen Ngoc Luong, PermanentSecretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee andPresident of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF), said climate change is aglobal issue with increasing impact that requires better awareness and jointaction by the whole world to resolve, and the youth have a crucial role to playin this regard to help with sustainable development in the future.
He stressed that at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021, Vietnam made a commitment to achieving netzero emissions by 2050. With its role, the HCYU and the VYF always view promoting and mobilisingthe enormous force of the youth, whose strengths are wisdom, creativity, andenthusiasm, as a focal and strategic task in both short and long terms.
The two organisations have worked toimprove awareness among the public, including young people, through communicationcampaigns and training courses, especially the Green Sunday model. Youth clubs,teams, and networks for environmental protection and climate change responsehave been established from grassroots to central levels. Environmental protectionmodels, ideas, and facilities have also been built and applied such as the “floodresistant house” model. Young people have also actively engaged in the plantingof 1 billion trees during 2021 - 2025, according to the official.
Luong statedthat the Vietnamese youth are strongly committed to join hands in takingdrastic, concrete, and effective action to protect the environment and respondto climate change.
He also called for cooperation andmutual assistance among organisations and individuals to together build a worldof sustainable development in the future.
In his opening remarks at the forum,UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the energy and conviction of youngpeople are widespread and have become more vital than ever. He appealed to young people tobe on the frontlines for bold climate actions, deliver solutions, and create aworld of peace and prosperity for all.
The ECOSOC Youth Forum, taking place from April 14 to 22, provides a global platform fordialogue between UN member states and young leaders from across the globe to search solutions to the challenges affecting youth welfare. It also gathers youngpeople to share recommendations and innovative ideas in regional-focuseddiscussions and in preparation for the Summit of the Future, to be held under the auspicesof the General Assembly this September./.
VNA
