From 14 – 17 July 2025, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) proudly participated in the World Youth Development Forum (WYDF) 2025, organised by the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) in Suzhou, China. This year’s event welcomed high-level leaders, UN institution representatives, and international youth-focused organisations, continuing the Forum’s mission to foster cross-sector dialogue for global youth development and promote the joint achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
ASEF’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr ZHANG Lei, represented the Foundation, engaging in high-level discussions aimed at strengthening international cooperation for youth empowerment.
ASEF Youth Leaders Represented
ASEF was delighted to nominate four outstanding youth leaders whose work exemplifies the spirit of international collaboration and innovation:
- Diya Makker (Indian Youth Climate Network): ASEFYLS Capacity Buildings 2024 Alumnus, Hungary cohort.
- Tudor Gaitan (Aspire Academy, Romania): ASEFYLS Capacity Buildings 2024 Alumnus, China cohort.
- Sarah Rauzana (ASEAN Youth Organisation): Representing our long-time partner organisation.
- Yusril Nurhidayat (Student Thinktank for Europe-Asia Relations, STEAR): Representing our long-time partner organisation, Alumnus of 9th Model ASEM and 5th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS5).
These youth leaders actively contributed to workshops and sessions, sharing best practices and advocating for transformative action in youth development.
Promoting Asia-Europe Collaboration
Mr ZHANG Lei was invited to speak at the Thematic Forum on Artificial Intelligence and Science & Technology Innovation. Mr ZHANG highlighted the different projects that ASEF organises and how we contribute to the area of AI and Science and Technology.
“To the youth here today: Your curiosity, your courage, and your creativity are the engines of progress. I encourage you to continue questioning, innovating, and collaborating across borders. ASEF has many opportunities for you to learn with us. The future is not something we enter—it is something we create, together.To our partners and stakeholders: Let us continue to invest in youth-led innovation, to build bridges between Asia and Europe, and to ensure that the digital revolution is ethical, inclusive and sustainable.”
— Mr ZHANG Lei
About WYDF
The 2025 World Youth Development Forum brought together youth delegates from around the world to share their ideas, recommendations, and actions for advancing global development. The WYDF, initiated in 2022, remains a global platform for dialogue among policymakers, youth leaders, and stakeholders, prioritising youth development and encouraging their participation in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. The forum aimed to advocate for placing youth development at the heart of national and global agendas, to share knowledge and best practices on youth participation in sustainable development, to empower and accelerate youth actions through innovative and collaborative solutions for advancing the SDGs and the Global Development Initiative, and to build networks and communities that foster youth partnerships and solidarity.
The forum highlighted three important sub-themes: Green Consumption and Sustainable Development, emphasizing youth-led advocacy for environmentally responsible choices to reduce waste and protect resources; Artificial Intelligence and Science & Technology Innovation, focusing on how young people harness digital tools and emerging technologies to drive inclusive and sustainable progress; and Cultural Heritage Protection and Inheritance, underscoring how youth participation helps preserve cultural identity while fostering creative transformation and global connection.
The 2025 Forum was hosted by the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), the United Nations in China, and the WYDF Organising Committee, with support from international partners including the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), UNESCO, UNICEF, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), UN-Habitat, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the Great Silk Way International Youth Union (GSW IYU).
