Youth to make voices heard at Rio +20

VOICES of the youth participating in a sustainable development seminar for Rio +20 will be heard, said the Acting Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports yesterday evening.

Encouraging participants of the National Youth Seminar to take an active role in upcoming discussions to be held today, Datin Paduka Hjh Adina Othman said that their insights and voices will be heard by the highest authorities and "ensures the involvement and participation of the youth in the decision making".

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio +20 is touted by the organisers as " a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives".

It added: "The Conference will result in a focused political document".

The Conference will focus on two themes, the first being a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication. Secondly, an institutional framework for sustainable development.

Datin Paduka Hjh Adina said that she was given to understand that the results of the seminar, which was held to promote awareness of Rio +20 and its themes, will be submitted to the United Nations Commission of Sustainable Development Major Group for Children and Youth in the form of a "Youth Statement" from Bruneian youths.

"I hope the youth participants will participate fully in the discussions and also hope that the statement will reflect the ... thoughts and ideas of youth based on their own environment, whether they are from rural or urban life".

The National Youth Seminar for Rio +20 was organised by the International Relations Bureau of the Brunei Youth Council in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam. Some 45 participants, aged 16 to 25, took part. A majority were students in various institutions in Brunei, including colleges and universities.

Yesterday, participants took part in a number of workshops facilitated by lecturers from UBD and Forestry officials from the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources.

Following the theme for Rio+20, the theme of the seminar was "The Future We Want".

Today, participants will be divided into six groups to visit various institutions to talk with experts in specific areas including jobs, oceans, water, disaster readiness, sustainable cities and food security (sustainable agriculture).

A large group discussion is also planned at the end of the site visits, and the subsequent discussions will form the basis of the "Youth Statement" by Bruneian youths.

The Brunei Times