The deputy speaker of National Youth Parliament (NYP) was among 160 participants from around the world that recently took part in a four-day international youth conference in Germany.

The forum, dubbed United Nations Environment Program’s Tunza International Youth Conference, took place from 26-30 August 2007 in Leverkusen, Germany.

Speaking to reporters shortly after her return from Germany, the deputy Speaker of NYP, Hon. Maimuna Sarr, who represented The Gambia in the conference, said the forum had served as a significant platform for discussing important environmental issues of the day such as technology and the environment with a special focus on climate change.

As part of preparing the ground for her participation in the Germany conference, Hon. Sarr earlier participated in the UNEP Tunza Africa Youth Environment Network, AYEN, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya.

The AYEN conference is also a follow-up to the first AYEN conference held in Congo Brazzaville from 24-26 May of last year.

During the two forums, participants took part in a series of tree planting activities and key to their participation was the role of the young people in maintaining a safe environment for the next generation.