Singapore hosts Youth Co:Lab Summit for the first time from Jul 6 to 7

The Youth Co:Lab Summit — a space for youths to discuss innovative solutions to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges — is being held in Singapore for the first time from Jul 6 to 7. 

Organised by the National Youth Council (NYC) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, this year’s summit revolves around the themes of Youth in Climate Action and Leaving No Youth Behind. 

Close to 250 participants representing 20 countries gathered in Singapore to attend it. Another 3,000 people from more than 100 countries registered to join through the Youth Co:Lab virtual platforms. 

The summit was kicked off by Minister of State Alvin Tan who brought up the importance of partnerships in empowering and equipping the youth to take action.

Attendees were given the chance to interact with various stakeholders to discuss youth leadership and empowerment in topics such as sustainable development and the future of work. 

The summit also provided a platform for more than twenty young social entrepreneurs to pitch solutions pertaining to climate action and women empowerment.

Youth teams and past participants of NYC’s Youth Action Challenge — Artwave, Stick ‘Em, HomePal and SELF were also able to showcase their initiatives while representing Singapore.

Young social entrepreneurs’ catalytic role in tackling the climate crisis was also discussed, using key findings from a Youth Co:Lab research report titled Climate Concern to Climate Action: The Role of Young Social Entrepreneurs.

The report is based on responses from 1,085 young entrepreneurs across 25 countries across the region. 

Findings from the study will be formally released after the summit. 

“This summit is an invaluable opportunity to join with these young determined drivers of social justice and enterprise, to expand our efforts towards building a greener, more inclusive, and sustainable future,” said Christophe Bahuet, deputy director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific.