The Asia-Pacific Youth Development Forum (APYDF) took place in Bangkok, Thailand from 15 – 16 October 2024. Organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security – Department of Children and Youth in Thailand, the World Youth Development Forum (WYDF) Secretariat, in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Chulalongkorn University. ASEF was invited to be a partner for this forum.
APYDF was organised as a regional forum of the World Youth Development Forum (WYDF) which this year ASEF was a supporting partner for.
The theme of the Asia-Pacific Youth Development Forum 2024: Dialogue on Youth Innovation for Green Transition is “Building Sustainable Cities and Resilient Food Systems.” The sessions focused on developing climate awareness, entrepreneurial mindsets, and 21st-century skills for young people to advance concrete actions and recommendations for Green Transition in the Asia-Pacific region. It also fostered a collaborative environment for dialogue with government officials, private sector leaders, academia, and other key stakeholders aligned with the implementation of the SDGs.
As a Partner, ASEF was invited to bring a delegation of youth participants to join and contribute to the discussions. ASEF selected representatives from the recent ASEFYLS Capacity Building 2024 Programme and alumni from past Youth Programmes to join. The delegation was made up of:
- Ms Freya CHOW-PAUL, Youth Project Lead, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
- Ms Solyka TENG, Cambodia
- Mr Itsuki TSUCHIDA, Japan
- Mr Yee Teng LOW, Malaysia
- Mr Aldrine ANZURES, Philippines
- Ms Kesha YOGASUNDARAM, Singapore
- Mr Voradon LERDAT, Thailand
- Mr Krissawat PHAKSAWAT, Thailand
- Ms Lewyong PICHEDPAN, Thailand
Ms Freya CHOW-PAUL was also invited to speak on the panel “NexGen Pathways – Stakeholder Initiatives Fostering Youth-Led Green Innovation” where she presented and shared ASEF’s approach to youth leadership development, successful strategies and lessons learned. Highlighting the importance of using a balanced methodology in programmes to empower young people and better prepare them for taking on leadership roles.
Other panellists included:
- Mr. Abdulla Al-Abdulla, Executive Director of Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), a Programme of Education Above All Foundation
- Ms. Trisha Suresh, Head of Public Policy and Economic Graph, Southeast Asia of LinkedIn
- Mr. Xu Bin, Head of Occupational Labor and Rights Protection Department, State Power Investment Corporation, China
- Ms. Tanya Huizer, Senior Water Resilience Specialist Strategy and Partnerships Water and Urban Development Sector Office, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- Mr. Jun Zhao, Deputy Director General,China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Centre for Young People (SCLSCC)
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. (Ms.) Suthirat Kittipongvises, Lecturer at Sustainable Environment Research Institute (SERI), Chulalongkorn University, and Director of Environment Development and Sustainability (International Program), Chulalongkorn University,
- Mr. Jianzhong Li, Honorary Vice President of the Beijing Youth Federation
- Mr. Eric Roeder, International Labour Organization (ILO) Technical Specialist on Green Jobs, Climate Action and Resilience through Just Transition – Asia Pacific Region
