From L-R: Mr. Mark Jacinto, Ms. Hoang Thuy, Ms. Tonilyn Lim, Mr. Josuard I. Gonzales, Ms. Elaine Tan, H.E Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, H.E. Ong Keng Yong, Ms. Ediola Pashollari, Ms. Varsha Ajmera, and Mr. Nigel Saldua.
Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Philippines to ASEAN and former Secretary General Ong Keng Yong delivered the Keynote Addresses at the ASEAN Youth Engagement Summit held at the ASIAN Center in UP Diliman on 20 February 2019. In her keynote address, Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso highlighted ASEAN’s achievements and challenges particularly those that the youth would face in a rapidly industrializing future where about half of jobs for the youth would be lost to automation. She encouraged the participants to take the lead in “in seizing the opportunities and addressing the challenges presented by the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, as well as Society 5.0.” She presented the various mechanisms, platforms and initiatives where the agenda of the youth is being addressed in ASEAN and encouraged them to get involved in these platforms .
The ASEAN Youth Engagement Summit is a platform for student leaders, and young professionals from Southeast Asia to learn about ASEAN and understand the role of the youth towards developing the region. For the 2019 summit, held from 20 to 23 February 2019, the ASEAN Youth Engagement Summit gathered over 400 young leaders, young professionals, and exchange agents from ASEAN to collaborate in forming initiatives, and exchange ideas with the objective of creating long-term impacts for the ASEAN community under the theme: a united ASEAN Youth towards Sustainable Transformation.
Ambassador Elizabeth P. Buensuceso ended her keynote address by commending the ASEAN Youth Engagement Summit for providing opportunities for the voice of the youth “to be heard by policy makers at strategic levels, such as through the Senior Officials Meeting on Youth (SOMY),” which would eventually lead to positive changes in the ASEAN Community building process as one that is inclusive and robust.
Photo with the AYES 2019 Delegates, Speakers, Partners, and Organizers
Former ASEAN Secretary-General, Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, on the other hand, explained the opportunities presented by the chairmanship of Thailand to address the issues of the youth as reflected in its 2019 theme, “Advancing Partnership for Sustainability."
Organized by the South East Asian Leaders’ Organization (SEALO), the ASEAN Youth Engagement Summit was first held in 2017 with the objective of connecting the most influential young leaders in the world. END.
