China's first Model United Nations Conference with the theme of sustainable development - 2023 Model United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development opened at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University July 17, 2023.

Co-sponsored by the Western Returned Scholars Foundation, the Working Committee of the partnership for UN Sustainable Development Goals, TaKung Pao/Takungpao.com and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association, the high-level international educational academic event has become an important and effective way to cultivate global talents.

The conference followed international situations, responded to UN initiatives and called on young people to pay attention to global development and ecological civilization construction, establish a high sense of social responsibility and work with the international community on the UN sustainable development agenda to realize the global Sustainable Development Goals.

In the three-day agenda, more than 400 young students acted as diplomatic representatives of different countries or other political entities exploring eight academic themes around energy technology, natural environment, food safety, earth and planetary science, climate change, human health and environment, human society and behavior and sustainable cities in response to the UN call to contribute youth voices and wisdom for sustainable development.

The conference set topics such as the European energy crisis, recycle economy and the plan to apply for the Maritime Silk Road world heritage. Participants conducted comprehensive analysis based on discussions and understandings of the responsibilities and obligations of their roles in order to propose practical and universally accepted policy suggestions and action plans.

Mo Wenxiu, member of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People's Congress and the former director general of the Principles of the Western Returned Scholars Foundation, said that the 2023 Model United Nations Conference was a key activity carried out by the "top talent training" fund by the foundation. The fund aims to integrate advanced and diverse teaching theories and methods from both home and abroad and cultivate top talents with a "Chinese heart" but international vision and competence.

Mo said she hopes that the Conference will become a "training ground" for young people to participate in global governance, an "internship place" for international affairs, a "big classroom" for enhancing global competence and cultivate a group of top-notch talents with international perspectives, proficiency in international rules and capability on international affairs.

At the opening ceremony of the conference, Lin Zhitong, Lin Zibin, Wu Linlin, Mo Xiaoqiao, Jin Jiayu, Yuan Tianlan, and Li Chuyan spoke as student representatives and youth initiators.

Lin Zhitong, representative of youth initiators, said that young students in the new era should deeply understand the importance of adaption to the world in the increasingly diverse global context. Only by understanding the future development direction could they become useful talents for the country and the world. By initiating the model UN, young people are expected to broaden their international vision, improve the pattern of their observations and determine their belief in building a community with a shared future for mankind, Lin said.