Bhubaneswar, August 12: The Odisha Conference of Youth (OCOY) 3.0, 2025, concluded on Tuesday at ASBM University, bringing a three-day flagship event of the Youth4Water Plus campaign to a close.
Over 800 young changemakers and experts convened to debate, learn, and plan for a more sustainable future. The conference culminated in the drafting of a Youth Statement on Climate Action, which was read on the concluding day and will be presented to national and global stakeholders, including the upcoming COP30 in Brazil.
In his valedictory address, Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia, Minister of State, Forest, Environment & Climate Change, Government of Odisha, stated, “An event like OCOY is a platform where 'policy meets people' and where young citizens become partners in progress.”
He connected the energy and ideas of the youth to the government's "Viksit Bharat" vision, which aims for a developed, inclusive, and resilient India by 2047. The Minister highlighted Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) as a central component of this vision, encouraging citizens to make small, everyday choices for sustainable living.
Karina Malczewska, WASH-CCES Specialist for UNICEF India, praised youth delegates for their energy, ideas, and lived experience. She emphasized, "Integrated action works, as issues like WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), nutrition, and climate resilience are interlinked." She outlined UNICEF's commitment to supporting the implementation of the Youth Statement, backing pilot projects, and helping to scale promising youth-led solutions. Concluding her address, she urged the youth to turn the conference's momentum into lasting action, stating, "You are not just the future — you are the present."
The conference also included the launch of '30 by 30' — a youth-led mission to mobilize climate action across the country by 2030.
The conference, organized in partnership with the UNICEF and over 50 organizations, provided a platform for youth from all 30 districts of Odisha to showcase innovations and engage in a high-energy Youth Parliament.
The other dignitaries who attended the valedictory session were: Akash Das Nayak, MLA Korei, Government of Odisha; Dr. Biswajeet Pattanayak, President, ASBM University; Yagyansis Mohapatra, CEO, Torrent Outdoor Media; Pradeep Ghosal, Advisor of Youth4Water Plus; Sujit Mahapatra, Advisor, Youth4Water Plus & Founder, Bakul Foundation; and Blorin Mohanty, Director, Youth4Water Plus.
