The ninth Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians will take place in Hanoi on Thursday with nearly 500 delegates including over 300 international guests, concentrating on youth’s role in sustainable development, the event’s organizer announced on Tuesday. 

Hosted by the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA), the three-day event will focus on ‘the role of young people in accelerating sustainable development goals by digital transformation and innovations,’ chairman of the NA’s Committee for External Affairs Vu Hai Ha said at a press briefing the same day.

The conference will discuss various issues under three topics: digital transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, and promotion of respect for cultural diversity for sustainable development.

Hosting this conference contributes to affirming Vietnam’s active, responsible, proactive participation in the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the global organization of 179 national parliaments, Ha said.

The event shows Vietnam’s attention to and concern for young people and the common global issues facing today’s youth.

It will also help promote Vietnam’s interests through parliamentary channels, meeting the country’s developmental requirements and trends.

The upcoming event, the largest ever with nearly 500 delegates, will give a good opportunity to further introduce the country and people of Vietnam to international friends, said NA General Secretary and NA Office Chairman Bui Van Cuong, who is the deputy head of the event’s organization committee.

Among these delegates, more than 300 will come from 76 international delegations, the committee announced. 

“Young parliamentarians have an age limit of 45, and some of them will become national leaders in the future. Therefore, international parliamentarians' good feelings and impressions of Vietnam at this conference will be the foundation for subsequently establishing friendly relations,” Cuong stated.

The conference is expected to pass a declaration on the role of the youth in promoting the implementation of sustainable development goals through digital transformation and innovation,” Cuong stated. 

This will be the first statement after eight conferences, featuring the young people's commitment to implementing the millennium development goals set by the United Nations.

Zena Hial, manager of the IPU Gender Partnership Program, expressed her appreciation for the Vietnamese leaders for hosting this conference, as well as their support for youth empowerment, which has been reflected in the large number of young people who will attend the event.

She emphasized the significance of the conference’s agenda and said she believed that Vietnam would be the perfect host for the event.

In a message to the event, IPU president Duarte Pacheco said, “Personally, I am confident that Vietnam will continue to be a responsible member who makes positive contributions to and is prepared to take responsibilities at the IPU.” 

The annual conference creates a unique platform for young parliamentarians “to meet, exchange, learn, and identify common and innovative strategies to advance youth empowerment,” the IPU said on its website.

The presence of young people in parliaments is still low, with only 2.6 percent of parliamentarians globally under 30 years old, while about 37 percent of legislatures have no members under 30, according to the IPU.  

Therefore, the IPU has been focusing on empowering youth and expanding youth engagement in solving current global issues.

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