Lê Bảo Nhi (11, Ho Chi Minh City) Becomes the First Vietnamese Child Representative to Speak at the United Nations COP30 Climate Forum

Lê Bảo Nhi, 11, from Ho Chi Minh City, became the first Vietnamese child representative to deliver a speech at the United Nations Climate Change Forum (COP30). In Brazil, she shared the perspective of Vietnam’s younger generation on environmental issues through a bilingual speech and culturally symbolic items.

Lê Bảo Nhi, 11, from Ho Chi Minh City, became the first Vietnamese child representative to deliver a speech at the United Nations Climate Change Forum (COP30). In Brazil, she shared the perspective of Vietnam’s younger generation on environmental issues through a bilingual speech and culturally symbolic items.

Bringing a “Green Heart” to the World

Amid severe floods and extreme weather conditions affecting communities in Vietnam, climate change and environmental protection once again demand serious attention — including participation from Generation Alpha. On November 21 in Belém, Brazil, Bảo Nhi represented Vietnamese children at the United Nations discussion session titled “Driving Innovation for Climate.”

As the outstanding winner of the Green Talk speech competition organized by 51Talk, Bảo Nhi made an impressive debut. On the international stage, she drew attention by wearing a traditional Vietnamese áo dài. A visual highlight of her presentation was her self-created artwork titled “Marine Environment,” decorated with seashells collected during real-life beach clean-up activities.

“The activity I was most excited about was visiting the Amazon rainforest. There, I learned about parrots, rare flowers, and especially saw floating houses on the river and how local children live,” Bảo Nhi shared.

Beyond expanding her knowledge of biology and culture, the trip also provided an opportunity to strengthen her global integration skills. She said she was impressed by the foreign language abilities and presentation styles of international peers, as well as the friendliness and hospitality of the Brazilian people.

Behind her confident stage presence was thorough preparation. Before departing, Bảo Nhi spent significant time refining her speech and improving her English skills with guidance from her teachers. This preparation helped her not only strengthen her language proficiency but also build confidence in critical thinking.

Speaking to Hoa Học Trò Online, she said:

“At COP30, I believe the highlights of my speech were the Vietnamese áo dài and my painting. I wanted to introduce my country to international friends in the most authentic and approachable way.”

Under the theme “From Vietnam’s Green Heart to the World,” instead of focusing on broad theories, Bảo Nhi emphasized practical actions within students’ reach, such as planting trees and reusing plastic bottles. Her message, “Small acts, Big changes,” was confidently delivered in English, reflecting the global citizenship mindset of Generation Alpha.

Real-Life Experience in the “Green Lung” of the Amazon

As part of the event, Bảo Nhi joined six other child representatives from countries including China, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia in a series of experiential activities. The program extended beyond conference rooms, allowing the young participants to explore the Amazon rainforest firsthand.

Commenting on the journey, Roger Parodi, Strategy Director at 51Talk, stated that Bảo Nhi’s presence at COP30 demonstrates the growing confidence of Vietnamese students on the international stage. He expressed hope that foreign language proficiency and global thinking will continue to serve as powerful tools enabling young people to integrate globally and contribute their voices to shared global challenges.