New Delhi: The University of Kashmir will host the Youth 20 consultation meeting under India's G20 Presidency on May 11 at its Central Campus Hazratbal. The theme of the meeting is “Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life”, and it will be held under the aegis of India’s G20 Presidency.
Addressing a pre-event press conference at EMMRC Auditorium, Kashmir University, Vice-Chancellor Prof Neelofer Khan announced that the consultations would provide a platform for open discussions, presentations and interactive sessions focused on addressing the challenges faced by young people and formulating a roadmap for their development.
Based on the inputs from these discussions, a communiqué will be prepared as an outcome document for the Youth 20 Summit, she added. Prof Khan said that the university has got a historic opportunity to host the meeting and all arrangements have been put in place to ensure its great success.
She said that the University of Kashmir has constituted several committees to oversee arrangements and preparedness for the event, which will be attended by dignitaries from the Central government, UT administration, youth leaders from G20 countries, and national and international speakers. It is pertinent to mention that the event will see four-panel discussions on important aspects related to the theme. Prof Khan informed that the theme for the meeting has been deliberately chosen given its high importance for the country in general and the youth in particular.
She said that the meeting is an opportunity for the youth to come forward and share their ideas on how they could contribute to addressing and mitigating the impact of climate change. The Vice-Chancellor added that the ideas generated will eventually be taken to the G20 platform and shall contribute to policy-making in critical areas.
Flagging the importance of the event, Prof Khan said that holding the meeting at the university reflects its deep commitment to further tread the path of academic excellence and expressed confidence that this event will further encourage faculty, research scholars and students to pursue their academic goals with enthusiasm.
India is all set to host the G20 tourism working group meeting in Jammu & Kashmir between May 22 and 24. This will be the first such international event to be held in the region since August 2019 when India revoked Kashmir's Special Status. The aim to host G20 meetings in Kashmir is to showcase the rich cultural heritage and geographic diversity in the state, despite all challenges and odds.
India took over the G20 Presidency in December 2022. The G20 or Group of 20 is an inter-governmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union. It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation and sustainable development.