Sustainability has long been at the heart of ASEAN Community building process as well as ASEAN’s engagement with external partners, as reflected in the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Notwithstanding ASEAN’s continuous efforts, we are not on track for the timely achievement of SDGs in the region. As such, it is more important than ever to accelerate actions to achieve the SDGs, including through enhanced engagements with SDGs prime movers at the national and local level.

Recognising the important role of the youth as powerful agents of change, and with a view to stimulate innovative ideas and approaches to employ digitalization to achieve sustainable development, Thailand as ASEAN Coordinator for Sustainable Development Cooperation, and will organise the project “ASEAN Youth Camp for Sustainable Development: Promoting Network of Youth in ASEAN for SDGs”.

The project aims to bring together youth representatives from the ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste to engage in a week-long programme that seeks to enhance their understanding of SDGs and the role of youth in SDGs implementation, hone leadership and social innovation skills, and exchange ideas on how to tackle and improve complex developmental challenges, with the aim to enhance their capacity and promote network involvement of youth in development policy planning and implementation at the local level towards achieving the SDGs.