UNESCO launches Youth and Innovation for Ocean initiative

Members of UNESCO and Cu Lao Cham – Hoi An Biosphere Reserve clean Cu Lao Cham beach last year. Photo courtesy of UNESCO

Young people across the country are encouraged to develop innovative and practical solutions for plastic waste management in the framework of the “Youth and Innovation for Ocean” campaign launched by UNESCO.

To mark World Oceans Day, UNESCO in co-ordination with the Coca-Cola Foundation launched an initiative to seek solutions to manage plastic waste towards a sustainable green economy in Vietnam.

Accordingly, university students and young professionals will receive technical support from top experts through a mentorship scheme. The projects will focus on reducing, reusing, recycling and managing plastic waste in coastal regions of Vietnam.

The top proposals awarded will be tested in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, specifically Cu Lao Cham – Hoi An Biosphere Reserve for the 2020 program through providing financial support for the implementation of the most innovative ideas.

Furthermore, the initiative will also kick-off the Youth and Young Professionals on Innovation, Science and Technology Platform for Resiliency (U-INSPIRE) as a national hub for supporting knowledge sharing and innovative ideas from young Vietnamese citizens to address environmental and development issues in the country.

The UNESCO Representative to Vietnam, Michael Croft, said this initiative reflects UNESCO’s strong commitment to support Vietnam to maintain a healthy and sustainable ocean, contributing to both the National Strategy on Sustainable Marine Economy until 2030, vision 2045, and the National Action Plan for Management of Marine Plastic Litter by 2030. 

“We know that Vietnamese youth are talented and have solutions to offer in all areas of development. Our job is to help these creative young people connect to each other and support the ideas that grow from these interactions,” said Croft.

Vietnamnews