BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE chairperson of the Seventh ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Youth (SOMY) yesterday called on the youth sector to evaluate the progress of their projects ahead of the ASEAN Community 2015 deadline.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting yesterday, Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid Hj Mohd Jafaar disclosed that two new projects on drug reduction initiatives for the youth have been proposed.

Alongside a proposal on the Youth Development Index, he said the SOMY Plus Three partners China, Japan and Korea will also be presenting on other youth-related projects. He encouraged all members and partners to share their thoughts on how the grouping can move forward.

“We see opportunities to progress the youth agenda in ASEAN, not just towards 2015, but also beyond 2015,” he said during the closed-door meeting at the Centrepoint Hotel, Gadong.

He reiterated that Brunei attaches great importance to youth issues as His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam emphasised that the youth have the most potential to shape the nation’s future.

Describing the youth as “Agents of Change”, the chairperson pointed out that the Brunei youth make up almost 50 per cent of the population.

Citing a titah of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam delivered on the recent National Youth Day, he said the monarch called upon the youth to understand and know how to conduct themselves in a manner that safeguards the nation’s dignity particularly in light of the challenges arising from globalisation.

Dato Hj Mohd Hamid further urged senior officials in the youth sector to ensure that young people have the ability to make wise decisions and contribute positively towards regional development in ASEAN.

The Seventh SOMY hosted in Brunei will be followed by the Sixth SOMY Plus Three, where discussions will focus on the implementation of programmes and activities for the ASEAN youth as well as issues related to the development of youth across the region.

The Brunei Times