First Y20 summit starts in Guwahati, over 300 delegates to attend

GUWAHATI [ASSAM]: The first meeting of the Y20, the youth wing of influential world grouping G20, of 2023 began in Assam on Monday, aiming to publish a draft ‘White Paper’ on five crucial themes such as war and peace, climate change and employment generation.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Youth Affairs & Sports Ministry Secretary Meeta Rajivlochan said a total of 300 delegates, including 20 foreigners from the member countries, will take part in the three-day summit.

“During the summit, which will take place at IIT-Guwahati and Radisson Blu hotel, the delegates will present their viewpoints on five themes. The Guwahati meet is going to be the first among the 17 such meetings across India this year,” she added.

The ‘Inception Meeting’ at Guwahati will have five themes — Peace Building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War; Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation and 21st Century Skills; and Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life.

Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance and Health, Well-being and Sports: Agenda for Youth are the two remaining themes on which Y20 delegates will brainstorm during a series of sessions.

Rajivlochan also said that a draft ‘White Paper’ on the five themes will be released on the last day of the summit in presence of Union Youth Affairs & Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“This draft paper will then be debated by the delegates, both domestic and foreign, in the successive summits and a final document will be prepared during the last meeting at Varanasi in August this year,” she added.

Assam Skill Development Principal Secretary Kalyan Chakravarthy said five research papers will also be presented on the last day on the five themes.

“During the run-up to this event, we organised various discussions, debates, quiz competitions and workshops in colleges and universities across the state, and touched over 10,000 students. These research papers have been prepared during that period,” he added.