Young People's Vision for a Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Asia Pacific
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2024
Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) Youth Forum 2024
15th - 17th Feb 2024 Bangkok, Thailand
Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions with young people at the forefront
Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) Youth Forum 2023
18th – 20th March 2023 Bangkok,Thailand (Hybrid Modality)
Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels in Asia and the Pacific with Young People at the Forefront
Each forum is dedicated to a particular topic and reflects the broad range of coverage under the comprehensive concept
The final day was dedicated to finalising and adopting the Youth Call to Actions and discussing ways forward for youth engagement in regional and global forums. Representatives from five national APFSD Youth Alliances (Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea) shared their experiences of establishing country-level platforms to advance SDG implementation and youth engagement at the national level.
Access the APFSD Youth Forum 2025 Report here →
The second day centred on climate action and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), with high-level opening remarks from UNDP, UNFCCC, UNICEF, ARROW and the Embassy of Sweden.
Plenary presentations highlighted critical challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, including:
Rising greenhouse gas emissions with the region accounting for approximately 60% of global emissions
Significant regression on SDG 13 (Climate Action)
Disproportionate climate impacts on women and girls
Ocean pollution with approximately 80% of global ocean plastic pollution originating from Asia
An Innovation Walk showcased 18 youth-led innovations addressing various SDGs through technology, indigenous knowledge, and community-based approaches.
Day one focused on gender equality, and health including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The opening session featured addresses from co-conveners and a video message from Dr Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs.
Plenary sessions included presentations from UN agencies and experts on the status of SDGs 3 and 5 in the region, highlighting alarming statistics on maternal mortality, HIV infections, mental health issues among youth, and barriers to SRHR access.