Foreign youths contribute to biodiversity conservation efforts

A group of youths from around the world on Wednesday took part in a competition in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture in China's Yunnan province that saw them showcasing their biodiversity conservation solutions.

Launched by Fudan University and sponsored by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China, the Youth Innovation Competition on Global Governance (YICGG) is an international competition that encourages youths from around the world to develop innovative global governance solutions.

According to Jin Li, president of Fudan University, 2,539 contestants from 284 universities and institutions in 98 countries and regions have participated in the competition and submitted about 800 governance proposals since 2007.

The finals of the competition's latest edition, which is called the 2023 Rong Chang Cup Youth Innovation Competition on Global Governance, kicked off on Wednesday with the theme "biodiversity breeds prosperity".

This year, 255 people from 49 countries participated in the competition. Sixty-four of them made it to the finals.

"Biodiversity is an important source, a driver of sustainability, and a source of technological innovation," said Arkebe Oqubay, former senior minister and special advisor to the prime minister of Ethiopia, at the opening ceremony of the finals.

Oqubay also pointed out the importance of the youth's participation in biodiversity conservation.

"Ultimately, the future direction (of biodiversity conservation) is going to be shaped and determined by the youth," he said.

Zephyr C Piranese Aptekar, a foreign student from Shanghai University, agreed that youth can make a difference in biodiversity conservation.

"The competition is interesting. It brings many people from different backgrounds together, and allows us to have different perspectives," he said.

"The youth is a distinct group. They should have a voice and exert some influence on policy making. After all, young people tend to be much more proactive when it comes to addressing climate change and biodiversity."

During the five-day finals, participants will get to share insights and participate in various events like talks, discussions, debates, field work and presentations, according to the organizer.

Wang Xin contributed to this story.