The first UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs talks with Chinese college students
2024-08-11
한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina
China Youth Daily Client News (China Youth Daily/China Youth Network reporter Li Yuanyuan) "50% of the world's population is under the age of 30, and the number of Chinese youth is among the highest in the world. Therefore, it is crucial to have dialogues with Chinese youth and understand their views." On August 9, Felipe Paulie, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs of the United Nations, and his delegation came to China Youth Daily and had a dialogue on "youth" and "development" with student representatives from Chinese universities.
On August 9, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paulie and his delegation visited China Youth Daily to learn about the newspaper's 70-year development history. Photo by Li Yuanyuan, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter
In order to push the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development back on track, the United Nations will hold the "Future Summit" in September. In order to gather youth power and implement global development initiatives and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 2024 World Youth Development Forum will open in Beijing on August 12. This forum is co-organized by the All-China Youth Federation, the United Nations system in China, and the World Youth Development Forum Organizing Committee.
Paulier is the first Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs of the United Nations, responsible for leading the work of the United Nations Youth Office. This is his first time to attend the World Youth Development Forum and also his first time to hold a collective dialogue with Chinese university student representatives.
On August 9, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paulie and his delegation visited China Youth Daily to learn about the newspaper's basic situation. Photo by Li Yuanyuan, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter
"Our office is located at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA." Paulie said that in 2022, the 193 member states of the United Nations jointly decided to establish the United Nations Youth Office, which means that the priority of youth development and youth participation in the United Nations agenda has risen to a new level. Although the office is small in scale, it has a global mission, which is to gather the power of young people to promote the global agenda. Coming from afar this time, he hopes to better convey the voice of the United Nations through the All-China Youth Federation and China Youth Daily, and listen to the voices of the Chinese youth group.
On August 9, at the China Youth Daily, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paulie held a dialogue with representatives of Chinese college students. Photo by Li Yuanyuan, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter
At the dialogue, Chinese college student representatives shared their experiences in promoting sustainable development.
Wang Leyi from Beijing Foreign Studies University shared her case study on sustainable development. "There is a village near Chengdu, Sichuan, whose main source of income is citrus cultivation. Due to years of monoculture and excessive use of pesticides, the village once faced environmental and economic challenges." Fortunately, a group of young people changed this situation. They launched the "Ecological Baba Mandarin Planting Pilot Project" to promote the sustainable transformation of local agriculture. They also attracted urban residents by organizing weekend parent-child tours, village-themed weddings and other activities, promoting the development of the rural tertiary industry.
On August 9, at the China Youth Daily, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paulier held a dialogue with representatives of Chinese college students. Wang Leyi from Beijing Foreign Studies University shared her views. Photo by Li Yuanyuan, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter
"This research trip not only allowed me to see more possibilities for young people to participate in achieving sustainable development goals, but also strengthened my determination to actively participate in youth activities," said Wang Leyi.
"We are facing major challenges such as climate change and global food security. I believe that young people are not only observers of these issues, but also active participants in promoting change." What role do young people play in shaping a sustainable future? Wang Jiajing from the School of International Relations shared his views. He has participated in community sustainable development promotion activities. By advocating young people to reduce waste and save energy, he witnessed that "even small actions can bring big changes, and young people can create a more sustainable future through joint efforts."
On August 9, at the China Youth Daily, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paulier held a dialogue with representatives of Chinese college students. Wang Jiajing from Beijing Foreign Studies University shared his views. Photo by Li Yuanyuan, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter
Contemporary Chinese youth not only care about domestic development, but also actively participate in promoting global development. Two weeks ago, Gou Linxuan, a student from China Agricultural University, went to the rural area of Morogoro, Tanzania to participate in an exchange program. In her eyes, Tanzania is a fascinating place, but it also faces many challenges. She observed that the food composition in the rural areas of the country is relatively simple, mainly rice, corn and beans, with little meat, and local children are nutritionally unbalanced.
In addition, Tanzania's public health system is also underdeveloped. "When I went to the best hospital in Morogoro with a fever, I noticed that their medical alcohol was light blue (medical alcohol refers to colorless ethanol with a concentration of about 75% - reporter's note) because local technology could not achieve a high level of purification." Through this detail, Gou Linxuan saw the challenges facing Tanzania's public health system. "This experience gave me the idea of joining international organizations and helping Africa and the world develop."
On August 9, at the China Youth Daily, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Felipe Paulie held a dialogue with representatives of Chinese college students. Gou Linxuan from China Agricultural University shared her views. Photo by Li Yuanyuan, China Youth Daily and China Youth Network reporter
While sharing their own experiences, Chinese student representatives also expressed their views on the United Nations. "My dream is to work at the United Nations," "The United Nations is a place for world dialogue," "The United Nations feels distant, and many people do not yet understand the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and the 2030 Agenda."...
They asked Paulier: What role does the United Nations play in the current international situation?
“The United Nations is not only a place to express political will, but also a platform to gather voices from all sides. The United Nations is committed to leaving no one behind,” Paulier said. “Through your sharing, I have seen how young people lead by example. You are able to realize that you are citizens of the world, know that what we do will have a global impact and take action. This is the significance of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Paulie pointed out that the world today needs strong multilateral institutions more than ever, because many problems facing the world, such as climate change, peace, mental health crisis, and artificial intelligence governance, cannot be solved unilaterally. At the Future Summit held in September this year, leaders from 193 UN member states will gather at the UN headquarters in New York to discuss major issues facing the world. "This is an important opportunity to rethink multilateral institutions." Paulie is full of expectations for this.
It is reported that Paulie and his delegation visited China at the invitation of the All-China Youth Federation and will attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 World Youth Development Forum on August 12.
(Source: China Youth Daily Client)
