The 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians takes place in Hanoi from September 14-17. (Photo: VNA) In the statement on “the role of youth inaccelerating the achievement of the SDGs through digital transformation andinnovation,” the young parliamentarians pledged that “We stand ready to do ourpart in the mission to harness the power of technology and innovation for theSDG, in a responsible way that leaves no one behind, especially not futuregenerations, while respecting the United Nations Charter and international law.We stand together to keep the promises of the 2015 Hanoi Declaration, and toanswer the urgent call of the 2030 Agenda.”
Notably, in the digital transformation, theycommitted to updating parliamentary rules and working methods to allow forgreater virtual participation of MPs, utilising interactive platforms thatfacilitate inclusive direct communication between constituents and representatives,and fostering meaningful engagement of specific demographic groups,particularly among the youth in the work of parliamentary committees.
They will also consider developing or strengtheningforward-looking parliamentary bodies, such as committees of the future andother suitable mechanisms with respect to each country's specific conditions,to help parliaments anticipate and respond to long-term trends or potentialshocks, and ensuring that the youth are involved in such bodies.
For innovation and star-up, the youngparliamentarians highlighted strengthening the innovation and start-upeco-system, including by developing legal frameworks for innovation andstart-ups, scaling up the budgets to support to youth-led and youth-inclusiveenterprises, start-ups and innovation initiatives of the youth, includingthrough funding, grants and technical assistance, and making sure they arealigned with the SDGs, especially on empowering young women.
The statement stressed promoting education curriculathat provide necessary skills to prepare the next generation of innovators andentrepreneurs, with an emphasis on digital skillsets.
It also mentioned strengthening data protectionframework laws and other statutory instruments, especially concerning personaldata, cyberthreats, and promoting transparent and open-source algorithms.
In his speech, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungongapplauded Vietnam’s substantial strides in multiple fields, including digitaltechnology with a strong commitment to combining technology with youthempowerment.
He emphasised that young parliamentarians have acrucial role to play as they serve as a driving force for progress anddevelopment, contribute viewpoints and reform solutions to parliamentaryprocesses, and also share practices and promote their voices on issues of commonconcern.
It can be said that the hosting of the conference hascontributed to affirming Vietnam’s active, proactive and responsible engagementin the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and demonstrating the importance thecountry attaches to youth and relevant issues globally.
The conference has helped Vietnam mobilise thesupport from the IPU and member parliaments for its national construction,defence and development.
Vietnam’s thorough preparations for the event havebeen praised by Zeina Hilal, a representative of the IPU Secretariat, who saidthe Vietnamese legislature has shown not only the active and fully responsibleand professional organisation of the conference but also its role in leadingyouth empowerment efforts.
She added that the 9th Global Conference of YoungParliamentarians was vivid illustration of the close-knit relations and strongcooperation between the Vietnamese NA and the IPU./.
VNA
