Youth urged to develop innovative solutions to address SDGs challenges

Young people have been urged to develop innovative solutions to help address social, environmental and economic challenges that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seek to address.

In a speech read on his behalf at a Social Good Summit held at the All Nations University College in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, the Assistant Country Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ghana, Mr Louis Kuukpen, said the youth played a critical role in the drive to achieve the SDGs.

“As young people, you are a critical part of this partnership especially because you are not only active users of new technology but creators of vibrant innovations that is needed to realize the targets set for the SDGs”, stated Mr Kuukpen.

He also encouraged the youth not to be deterred by challenges that they may face in their pursuit to develop solutions for solving societal problems.

In a statement issued by the UNDP last Tuesday, Mr Kuukpen said there was the need to harness new technologies to address challenges in the various sectors of the sustainable development, particularly in the area of health, environment and education.

Summit

The event was held on the theme: “Leveraging Technology and Innovation towards the Achievement of the SDGs.”
The Social Good Summit is an annual UNDP event, which is held during the United Nations General Assembly week to create awareness on the SDGs.

The 2018 summit, which focused on how to use technology to address societal problems brought together over 500 participants, including students from the All Nations University College, Koforidua Technical University, Ghana Telecom University, Koforidua Technical Senior High School, and Pope John Senior High and Junior Seminary.

Emulate good examples

The President of the All Nations University College, Dr Samuel Donkor, encouraged the students’ participants at the summit to emulate the example of the young engineers of All Nations University, who successfully launched satellite (GhanaSat 1) into orbit.

The achievement by the students, he said, has made Ghana the first country in Sub-Sahara Africa to have launched a satellite into space, which is helping the country to map its coastal areas for security purposes.

“You are more informed, more tech-savvy and more connected than any generations before you. You have the opportunity to harness new technology, the internet and services to bring together young people from around the world to share content, ideas, and resources in order to advance progress on global issues,” Dr Donkor said.