By Hon Chi Wang Caleb
From October 20-23, 2025, the 5th UNCTAD Youth Forum in Geneva showcased how global youth can drive international cooperation. As a youth delegate from Hong Kong, I gained valuable insights into our city's irreplaceable role as a bridge in today's interconnected world.
The forum fostered vibrant exchanges among young leaders worldwide. While official sessions addressed AI and the digital economy, informal interactions truly demonstrated the power of international friendship. Hong Kong Youth delegates shared their insights and built friendships with youth from the seven continents. More importantly, workshops like "Pitch in Progress" revealed how Hong Kong's entrepreneurial "Lion Rock Spirit" can contribute to global problem-solving.
Hong Kong serves as an institutional bridge, leveraging its common law system, professional services, and international perspective to connect Eastern and Western ideas. International investment can be directed into initiatives such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and support the internationalization of the RMB. The forum's negotiation workshop emphasized that building common ground means uniting around shared aspirations rather than eliminating differences.
Direct engagement with UN leaders, including UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan, demonstrated that youth voices matter. Through Youth Action Hubs, we will translate this experience into concrete projects aligning Hong Kong's efforts with UNCTAD's global sustainability mission.
As China's Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative create new momentum for global partnership, Hong Kong youth stand at a unique crossroads. Rooted in Chinese heritage yet globally minded, we must become super connectors and bridge builders. Our mission is clear: leveraging Hong Kong's distinctive position to foster a world where cooperation transcends division, transforming the hope witnessed in Geneva into a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.
The author serves as a Youth Ambassador for the Hong Kong Association for External Friendship and is a Hong Kong youth delegate at the 5th United Nations Trade and Development Youth Forum.
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