After 9 debate sessions, the Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians (GCYP) issued a conference declaration for the first time. According to Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the National Assembly, this shows the determination, high consensus and strong commitment of young global parliamentarians.

Let the dream come true

The declaration is themed "The Role of Youth in Promoting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals through Digital Transformation and Innovation", showing the determination, high consensus and strong commitment of young parliamentarians in promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals on a global scale.

The 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference takes place in Hanoi on September 14-17.

Duarte Pacheco, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), expressed his appreciation to the Vietnamese National Assembly for the thoughtful, positive and respectful reception of the delegations and the work of organizing the conference.

"When the Vietnamese National Assembly proposed to host the GCYP, we accepted without hesitation because we had a very good experience when Vietnam hosted the IPU 132 Conference in 2015, also at this National Convention Center," said Pacheco.

IPU President Pacheco said he would like to say five words of thanks, first and foremost, to the National Assembly of Vietnam for the extremely thoughtful and positive organization and respectful reception of the delegations.

"All of Vietnam's efforts helped make the conference a success. Nothing naturally falls from the sky except rain, and the rest requires effort. Thanks to the efforts of Vietnam and the Chairman of the National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue, we have achieved a lot," he said.

Second, Pacheco thanked the speakers for their great efforts and hard work, which helped the conference to have lively discussions and produce meaningful results.

Pacheco also thanked the delegates who participated in the talks, saying their vast knowledge and experience were inspiring.

His fourth thanks went to the interpreters who helped make the conference a success, but "whose role is sometimes forgotten," he said.

Finally, he thanked the parliamentarians from 65 countries around the world, including those who braved flights of up to 30 hours to come here to participate in IPU activities.

"Thanks to them, we have the political base and the determination to do our work well. We have more work to do after the Conference," he said.

Commenting on the conference declaration, Pacheco said it was only the first step in solving global problems.

"Through this declaration, we have seen the path, but it can be said that the conference results are only on paper, the next step is important. That is how young parliamentarians will implement the contents of the Declaration in their countries," he said.

Duarte Pacheco said the world faces many challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

"We must be determined to fulfill our commitments, and young parliamentarians must become leaders, not just politicians," Duarte Pacheco said.

Vietnam leads the way

Assessing the results of the conference, the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Martin Chungong, said that the conference was successful beyond expectations. In particular, the conference had the largest number of delegates ever: More than 300 delegates from 65 countries around the world.

Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong speaks at the conference.

The reason is a good impression that Vietnam has left after the success of the 132nd IPU General Assembly in 2015. On the other hand, Vietnam is an attractive destination that everyone is interested in.

"The conference was held in the beautiful country of Vietnam, which has made significant and reliable progress in many areas, including sustainable development and the application of high technology. Especially in terms of innovation, Vietnam is a 'beacon' for empowering young people," he said.

According to Martin Chungong, from 2015 to 2023, the IPU has a consistent theme of promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the GCYP conference declaration also has content in line with the spirit of the Hanoi Declaration issued in 2015.

"Parliaments are committed to promoting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, implementing inclusive policies, young people must be empowered, women must be fully represented in institutions. The IPU has an obligation to promote the development of member parliaments, to monitor and push for the implementation of the contents agreed in this conference declaration," said Martin Chungong.

Dan Carden, Chair of the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians, agreed.

He said that youth make up 50% of the world's population, but only 2.8% of parliamentarians are under the age of 30. That's why parliamentary activities sometimes fail to connect with young people. Therefore, improving institutional capacity and creating opportunities for young people to raise their voices will help parliaments connect closely with the community and the people.

With less than seven years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations, Dan Carden said that currently, only 12% of the goals are well implemented, while up to 50% of the goals are still facing moderate to severe delays.