19th ISB BGIC Opening Ceremony - Keypoints

Remarks from Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa

In his welcoming address, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa welcomes the distinguished guests to the 19th ISB Borneo Global Issues Conference 2023. The conference's theme this year is "Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth" which focuses on creating sustainable economic growth that produces progress and prosperity for all people. On the theme, Yang Berhormat Dato said that it is relevant to young people as they are the future leaders who will drive economic growth and prosperity. Achieving this goal requires planning and foresight from governments, a commitment to investing in young people's personal resilience and lifelong learning. He believes that this conference is an opportunity for students to develop important life skills to overcome future obstacles. Yang Berhormat Dato congratulated and thanked all the sponsors and supporters for their contributions and wished all the delegates a productive and enjoyable conference.

Keynote Speaker - Dr Hajah Siti Haziah binti Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin

In her keynote speech, Dr. Hajah Siti Haziah discussed how the SDG 8 aligns with Brunei Darussalam's national development plan, Wawasan 2035. SDG 8 encourages long-term economic growth, full employment, and decent work for all. Furthermore, she believes SDG 8 can assist Brunei in reducing its reliance on the oil and gas sector as well as become an asset to help create new opportunities. She affirmed Brunei has signaled its intention to collaborate with other countries and work toward a more sustainable future by committing to the SDGs. Moreover, by ensuring that all members of society have access to economic benefits, SDG 8 can help address income inequality and promote social inclusion. In her speech, she also mentioned that MPEC's vision is to have effective workforce planning that is aligned with employability and employment to combat unemployment in the country. This includes identifying the workforce and skill demand for Brunei, closing skill gaps by providing the necessary competency of framework and training, driving the agenda of collaboration within industry players, training institutions, and regulators. She then ended her speech by saying that integrity involves upholding personal values and behaving in a principled manner towards oneself, others, and the environment. 

“We should appreciate our past, culture, and identity without arrogance, as these things define who we are and make us unique. In a world that is becoming more globalized, it is especially important to value and preserve cultural diversity.” 

What is Wawasan 2023?

Wawasan Brunei 2035 is a set of aspirational goals that Brunei government and leadership aim to achieve by 2035. The three goals involve Brunei being recognized as a nation that firstly, has “highly educated, skilled and accomplished people” and second, that Brunei maintains for its people a “high quality of life” and last, but not least, that Brunei aims for and sustains a “dynamic and sustainable economy.” You can read more about Wawasan Brunei and what national initiatives are being conducted to help reach the mentioned goals at Wawasanbrunei.gov.bn

SDG 8” - This stands for Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

In case you didn’t know – there are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were published in 2017. However, the UN recently celebrated the 5th Anniversary of SGDs in September 2020. This was a poignant time in human history as the anniversary came after the global pandemic of Coronavirus 19 thus the UN recognized that “in the midst of a pandemic radically transforming our economies and societies” the Sustainable Development Goals were even more important to strive for and “to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all” (United Nations.org).

Sustainable Development Goal 8 is specifically “about promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated the worst economic crisis in decades and reversed progress towards decent work for all. Although the global economy began to rebound in 2021, bringing some improvement in unemployment, recovery remains elusive and fragile.”

You can read more about the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals here:

www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Keynote Speaker - Yang Mulia Awang Haji Mohamad Azmi bin Haji Mohd Hanifah

In his speech, he expressed his gratitude for the 19th Borneo Global Issues Conference and its focus on Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. Yang Mulia Tuan Haji Azmi congratulates International School Brunei for providing a platform for youth engagement and leadership. The speaker emphasizes the importance of collaboration between government, private sectors, and corporations to promote entrepreneurship, creativity, research, and innovation in developing sustainable and future-proof human resources. Yang Mulia Tuan Azmi also highlighted the importance of competency development and the need to adapt to an increasingly changing world. He emphasized especially, the significance of investing in the development of the Bruneian workforce to realize the country's ambition of Wawasan 2035. In his speech, he also recognized the importance of a reliable energy supply to power the nation's schools, buildings and homes, and the role of social investment initiatives in fostering knowledge and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In closing, he urged delegates to work together to ensure that Brunei Darussalam prospers and thrives sustainably for generations to come.