The three-day event is co-hosted by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU)’s Central Committee, the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam, and the Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
In his opening speech, First Secretary of the HCMYU Central Committee Bui Quang Huy reviewed Vietnam’s participation in the Francophone community since 1979, with remarkable contributions to advancing the community’s position in the international arena.
With its external policy of diversification and multilateralization, Vietnam places great importance on cooperation with the Francophone community, he said, highlighting the important role of youths in boosting ties among member countries, as well as cooperation between the HCMYU and the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam and the Conference of Ministers of Youth and Sports of La Francophonie (CONFEJES).
The theme of the forum suits the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the sharing economy and the booming trend of innovation and startups, Huy stated. HCMYU and other youth organizations in Vietnam have carried out multiple programmes and solutions to promote startup and innovation among young people.
Huy expressed his confidence that the forum will five a chance to the participants to exchange experience in employment and startup in the French-speaking environment, as well as in sustainable development, digital technology, and information and communication technology, thus creating new values for the community.
Following the opening ceremony, the delegates attended a plenary session themed “Francophone community in Asia-Pacific: cross-cutting perspectives”, and workshops on various topics such as startup and career integration of young French-speakers in the Asia-Pacific, sustainable tourism, and employment opportunities in digital technology.
