On 8 November 2024, the Department of ASEAN Affairs welcomed 26 youth participants from ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste who attended the “ASEAN SDGs Youth Camp: Leveraging Digital Innovation for SDGs” which took place between 4–8 November 2024. Mrs. Chatvadee Chindawongse, Deputy Director-General of the Department, gave a welcoming remarks and emphasized the role of youth in driving changes towards a secure and sustain future through technology.

ASEAN SDGs Youth Camp was Thailand’s initiatives as an ASEAN Coordinator on Sustainable Development, organized for the first time in 2023. This year’s Camp is a second edition, co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, the ASEAN Center for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD) and Mahidol University, to empower youth in promoting sustainable development and foster network building and cooperation among youth across ASEAN. The 1-week programme was filled with lectures, brainstorming workshops, and sites visit to Nong Khaem Solid Waste Disposal Center and True Digital Park, Thailand’s hub for technology and startups. The participants had an opportunity to exchange views and ideas on SDGs best practices and explored how digital innovations plays roles in the implementation of SDGs.