The symposium, sponsored by the National Youth Commission, the Ministry of the Interior,the Ministry of Education and the Department of Health, was held at the Civil Service Development Institute in Taipei City.

Speaking at the opening of the symposium, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung expressed the hope that the conclusions reached at the gathering will help the government in formulating and implementing policies that are more in line with the needs of the nation's youth.

"By promoting such policies, it is hoped that an environment where all Taiwan's young people have an equal opportunity to develop will be created, and the competitiveness of the nation's youth will increase with each generation," he said.

A National Youth Commission official said at the symposium that as youth affairs and policies cannot be handled by a single department, the commission in 2002 invited a group of scholars and representatives of various ministries and agencies to establish the "Youth Affairs Advancement Committee."

He added that the Youth Policy White Paper Guidelines were put forward in 2005 to provide a foundation for the government's general plan for youth affairs, in the areas of youth development, participation, health and protection.

The official further said that youth representatives have been invited to the symposium to give them an opportunity to have their voices heard in order to allow the government to gain a better understanding of the real needs of Taiwan's young people.

Among the many proposals made by youth representatives at the symposium was one related to Internet crime put, forward by Wu Pei-chi, a student at Beitou Junior High School in Changhua County, who took part in the discussion on youth protection.

Wu noted that although Internet crime involving youth, including online dating scams and online fraud, has become more serious in Taiwan, the government has yet to come up with adequate measures to deal with the problem.

She suggested that the government give greater priority to formulating policies and laws to prevent online crime involving young people.

Meanwhile, Liou Hsin-hsiang, a high school student in Hualien County who took part in the discussion on youth health, complained about the lack of literature and fine arts resources in eastern Taiwan and the fact that schools there do not place much importance on the cultural development of students.

She suggested that the government take measures to address these inadequacies in order to create an environment where youth around the country may have the opportunity to develop into well-rounded individuals.