Delegations taking part in the ASEAN Plus Youth Volunteer Forum and ASEAN Plus Youth Volunteer Award which started in Wednesday in Quảng Bình Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Đức Thọ/Đức Tuấn

QUẢNG BÌNH — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Plus Youth Volunteer Forum and ASEAN Plus Youth Volunteer Awards opened in the central province of Quảng Bình on Wednesday.

The four-day event, organised by the National Committee for Youth in Việt Nam (NCYV) and the Central Committee of Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU), brings together 50 volunteers from ASEAN countries and Japan.

It aims to offer an opportunity for ASEAN plus youth to exchange ideas and experience in volunteerism, and introduce the culture and people of Việt Nam as well as the country’s socio-economic development to international friends. Outstanding individuals and organisations from ASEAN plus countries are also honoured at the event.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Tường Lâm, Secretary of the HCMYU and Standing Vice Chairman of the NCYV, said the world has witnessed and experienced unprecedented challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years.  Many volunteering activities and projects have been carried out throughout the region and globally to overcome these challenges.

He noted that a lot of community initiatives have been deployed by Vietnamese youth, focusing on activities on digital platforms.

Lâm said he expects that a network of volunteer individuals and organisations in the region will be built after the event, helping spread the volunteerism spirit and jointly contribute to the recovery and development of the region and the world. — VNS