​The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, and the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Patrick Li, led the youth volunteer interns participating in the HYAB - United Nations Volunteer Internship Programme to visit the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OCMFA) today (July 9), and met with Deputy Commissioner of the OCMFA Mr Li Yongsheng. The Chairman of the Agency for Volunteer Service (co-organiser of the Programme), Ms Melissa Pang, also joined the visit.
      
     In the 2025 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced the launch of the Young Talent Training Programme to provide more opportunities for young people to participate in the internships of international organisations and attend international conferences, thereby enabling them to broaden their international horizons and cultivate a holistic outlook. The Government launched the Programme in collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Volunteers and provides full funding support to local university students to undertake six-month volunteer placements in different UN agencies. It aims to help young people develop their personal capacities and gain a deeper understanding of the operations of international organisations, and also to provide an opportunity for them to contribute to the international community in the capacity of Chinese youth volunteers.
      
     Miss Mak expressed her gratitude to the OCMFA for its support for youth development work in Hong Kong, especially the arrangements of today's visit, which would help young people understand the country's pivotal role in international affairs. She encouraged the interns this year to seize this volunteer internship opportunity to showcase the vitality, capability and potential of Hong Kong youth to the world, and also to tell good stories of the country and Hong Kong.
      
     This year, the Programme offers a total of 20 internship placements in different UN agencies located in Kazakhstan, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Uzbekistan. The youth volunteer interns will undertake volunteer placements in UN agencies, such as the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Ends/Thursday, July 9, 2026
Issued at HKT 19:20

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