Permanent Secretary (Wawasan) at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala binti Pengiran Haji Mohammad said energy, passion, commitment and knowledge of youth are the great asset and the future of tomorrow to drive Brunei Vision 2035 and the implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
She said this during the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Youth Dialogue closing and certificate presentation ceremony held at the East Wing Meeting Room, PMO yesterday.
Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala said the programme supports the call of the titah of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam during the ASEAN Leader Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Youth on May 10 emphasising youth participation as a major force for sustainable development, and a key agent for social change, economic growth, and technological innovation.
The three-day programme which began on May 15 successfully concluded which saw the participation of 80 youth aged 15 to 25.
The inaugural SDG Youth Dialogue was organised by the PMO as the Special National Coordinating Committee on SDG, with cooperation from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD).
The programme and activities were conducted by Brunei Youth Council; Green Brunei; My Action for SDGs with support of the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (UNRCO) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).
The dialogue aimed at fostering the development and empowerment of future sustainable leaders and serves as a commitment to harness the potential of the Sultanate’s youth. The activities include leadership workshops and learning journeys to the Brunei Energy Hub and Kampong Ayer.
Participants also had the opportunity to hear from invited speakers from the Ministry of Health, Secretariat of the Manpower Planning and Employment Council, Ministry of Education, BIBD, and Malaysian Youth SDG Summit. Participants were provided support and insights from mentors from Larian Tanpa Batas, AYAN Brunei, and Society for the Management of Autism Related issues in Training, Education and Resources (SMARTER) Brunei. Throughout the programme, the participants demonstrated dedication and creativity as they engaged in constructive dialogues to offer innovative ideas on key issues – including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth, and quality education.
The participants highlighted the importance of intergenerational unit, and stressed the need for a holistic approach to achieve the SDGs.
The ceremony continued with the reading of the SDG Youth Statement which will become a valuable input to the Second Voluntary National Review Report of Brunei Darussalam to be submitted at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2023.
There was also an announcement on the BIBD Sustainability Youth Leaders Award to encourage continuation of the project ideas by BIBD Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Junaidi bin Haji Masri.
The ceremony concluded with a presentation of certificates and tokens of appreciation to the MCYS; BIBD and the Brunei Youth Council by Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala.
