| Azlan Othman |
HER Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman who yesterday stressed on ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for the present and the next generation, added that the next generation is the next best hope in securing a favourable future on this planet.
Her Royal Highness in her sabda at the opening ceremony of the 13th International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) at the International Convention Centre (ICC), said to realise the full potential of the next generation, we need to invest in them.
“We need to further increase their awareness of the problems the world will face and equip them with the tools to solve them,” she said.
“We need to constantly build up their capacity. Education is more than what we receive in a classroom. Events like the BGIC refine the other important life skills that include communication, persuasion, negotiation, networking and character development,” Her Royal Highness said.
“In particular, I hope that the students’ active participation in the format of a model United Nations conference can allow them to take the perspective of world leaders and inculcate in themselves a strong understanding of how debate, negotiation, protocol, mutual understanding and compromise can slowly but surely advance the causes that they care about,” she added.
“We need to give today’s youths more platforms like BGIC to let them act according to their conscience and sense of responsibility,” Her Royal Highness added.
Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman delivering her sabda during the opening ceremony of the 13th International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) at the International Convention Centre (ICC) yesterday. – AZROL AZMI
Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman in a group photo with the sponsors’ representatives that are involved in the 13th International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) at the International Convention Centre (ICC) yesterday
Her Royal Highness during the event
Her Royal Highness being greeted by the students of ISB upon arrival. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI
Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman signing a memento at the 13th International School Brunei (ISB) Borneo Global Issues Conference (BGIC) at the International Convention Centre (ICC)
Her Royal Highness during the opening ceremony of the 13th ISB BGIC
Some of the participating students at the event
ISB students performing with traditional music instruments. – PHOTOS: AZROL AZMI
Speaking on this year’s theme ‘Ensuring Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns’, Her Royal Highness said it reminds us that while we should continuously push for development to end global poverty and inequality, a failure to pursue those objectives responsibly will spell catastrophe for the future generations.
“The sustainable development goals build on principles agreed upon under a UN resolution popularly known as ‘The Future We Want’.
“It recognises that while poverty remains our most pressing global challenge, strategies to end this must go hand in hand with addressing the urgent need that millions around the world still have for access to education, health, social protection and employment all the while remembering one very important fact.
“Climate change is already heavily impacting public health, the environment, food and water security, migration, peace and security. If we ignore this reality, all the development that human society has achieved in the last few decades will begin to unravel. In the strictest terms, we must act. As a former UN Secretary-General famously stated, “There is no Plan B, because there is no planet B.”
The ISB Borneo Global Issue Conference (ISB BGIC) is an annual student led model UN conference where participants represent various countries, addressing their views on current and real world issues among their peers.
The conference is an initiative aimed at the expansion of students’ understanding of global citizenship and improving public speaking and negotiation skills.
The three-day conference is attended by 155 delegates from 21 schools across the country. Students warmed up to each other quickly as they merged resolutions with delegates from other countries to provide better solutions for the problems surrounding human development and sustainable use of the earth’s precious resources.
The hustle and bustle of caucusing continued until the evening, with delegates having a 5.30pm deadline for submitting their final resolutions.
Once that was done, participants were able to wind down and reflect over the day’s events over dinner.
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