A youth statement from the APEC Voices of the Future initiative was handed to the prime minister of Thailand as part of APEC Economic Leaders’ Week. This honor was bestowed upon Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha in recognition of his role as economic leader during the APEC 2022 conference. Youth involvement in APEC activities this year has culminated in this proclamation.
As the prime minister explained to the APEC young delegates, progress is being made on a number of fronts thanks to the efforts of people from all walks of life working together. He assured them that the trend toward global interconnection was accelerating and that he was open to hearing from all sides. He expressed interest in communicating with the current generation in an effort to head off any disputes. He stressed the significance of listening to people and taking their ideas into account when navigating change.
Young people’s perspectives on the APEC leaders’ summit are shared and encouraged through the APEC Voices of the Future initiative. This year, 101 young people from 14 APEC economies communicated with one another under the slogan “Open. Connect. Balance.” Thailand sent 10 of the delegates. As a result of this event, young people from APEC economies were able to share their perspectives and offer ideas on issues that affect the long-term health of the APEC economic system. The kids also participated in the 2022 APEC CEO Summit, where they heard from the heads of key global companies about their future plans.
Back in 1998, Malaysia was the first to launch APEC Voices of the Future. In the same year that the inaugural APEC summit took place, New Zealand also hosted the first convention for the program. Since the APEC summit in Russia’s Vladivostok in 2012, Thailand has deployed young delegates to the program.
