Global youth leaders gather in Beijing to shape UN agenda

The Youth Pre-Meeting for the UN Summit of the Future was held in Beijing on Tuesday, bringing together over 300 youth ministers, youth leaders, and youth representatives from nearly 100 countries.

Participants engaged in a series of in-depth discussions on global issues related to the upcoming UN Summit, with the outcomes of the roundtable discussions set to be compiled into a report for submission at next month's summit.

The UN Summit of the Future, scheduled for September, is poised to play a critical role in revitalizing multilateralism and advancing the development agenda. It will focus on youth-related topics and produce documents such as the "Future Covenant," "Global Digital Compact," and "Declaration for Future Generations."

The young participants, representing a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives, tackled five key themes: sustainable development and financing, international peace and security, scientific and technological innovation and digital cooperation, youth and future generations, and global governance reform.

Those taking part are well-informed and passionate about driving change in the world.

"I want to change the narrative when it comes to women's issues. At my place, women don't have any decision-making [power]," said Jemilatu Jalloh, founder of JemsAgro, a female-led agricultural initiative in Sierra Leone aiming to promote the role of rural women in the sector.

"I am going to listen [to debates] about peace and security," said Kaarel Taimla, chairman of the Estonian National Youth Council.

Rodrigo Reis, a keynote speaker on Global Governance Transformation, stressed the importance of youth not just being heard, but also exerting influence and informing decision-makers at the United Nations.

"The next stage is how they can exert influence, and put pressure in terms of the decisions that are being made in so many topics debated at the United Nations," said Rodrigo Reis, executive director of Instituto Global Attitude.

While the specific opinions collated from the discussions remain undisclosed, a wide range of ideas were brought to the table.

"The bottom line for all the young people is pretty much similar. On top of the agenda was democratization of the UN structures, and especially the Security Council. Because we know in this world, and recently veto powers have been used by major powers to actually sabotage peace efforts," said Moaaz Awan, senior manager of China Three Gorges Asia-Africa, a major energy firm.

"Some of my group members said if we are to achieve SDG goals, those funds should be donated directly to the grassroots – so that they would be able to implement the projects that they were intended for," said Jeremiah Moore, program director of the All Africa Students Union Presidential Office.

Organized under the World Youth Development Forum, this Youth Pre-Meeting is just one of the events lined up to facilitate further discussions and expressions of opinions on global issues by young people.

Global youth leaders gather in Beijing to shape UN agenda

Bishan District in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality is setting a new benchmark in urban drainage through its innovative "sponge city" model.

Bishan District was selected in February 2017 as a pilot for climate adaptation, and has developed itself into a sponge city.

By utilizing permeable bricks, the ground is enabled to absorb water more effectively, enhancing natural infiltration. In addition, rain gardens function as natural reservoirs, while school rooftops have been transformed into verdant green spaces.

Overall, this innovative approach not only helps mitigate urban flooding, but also contributes to improving the local microclimate -- an exemplary model of ecological urban development.

"What is a 'sponge city'? It's an urban development concept that treats the city like a giant sponge -- absorbing water when it rains and releasing it when needed. The system is highly flexible," said Tang Chuandong, a planning designer of the Western Branch of the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design.

Over the recent years, Bishan District has developed mini sponge systems.

"Solid buildings and hard ground aren't very adaptable when it comes to climate change. For that reason, we incorporated sunken areas into industrial park designs to create rain gardens -- mini ecological sponge systems," Tang said.

When it rains, water is collected in these gardens and is filtered through vegetation, soil and sand layers before being stored in underground tanks. Multiple small sponge systems beneath large buildings help disperse, manage and store rainwater more effectively. Additionally, Bishan District's sponge city initiative has made the ground more permeable.

"We've laid permeable bricks with a certain porosity. This allows rainwater to seep into the ground, thereby reducing surface water buildup," said Tang.

Tang also highlighted the ecological benefits of transforming school rooftops into lush green spaces.

"Typical rooftops are just bare concrete. But when building a sponge city, like here at the school, aside from the greenery around us, we also green the rooftop. The area most exposed to sunlight is our rooftop, right? We turned the roof into a green sponge system by laying down soil, scattering seeds, and growing grass. It's like giving the rooftop a 'green jacket'. Doesn't it feel cooler?" he said.

"Don't underestimate the small green roof. As the Chinese saying goes, 'No good deed is too small to be done.' One roof may have limited impact, but if many buildings, or an entire city, adopt green roofs, the effect on urban climate regulation could be extremely substantial," said Tang.

China's Chongqing innovates urban drainage with "sponge city" model