COP28 UAE President To Launch International Youth Climate Delegate Program

The Youth Delegates Will Participate In Climate Negotiations

The report says that more than 3,000 people from the community came, including the COP28 leadership team, UAE Ministers, students, youth in national service, young climate activists, senior citizens, people with determination, green business owners, farmers, entertainers, and volunteers.

Elevating the voices, perspectives, and priorities of the global youth in the multilateral COP process, the International YCDP will select 100 youth delegates, primarily from least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS), to participate in climate negotiations and related public-private partnership initiatives.

According to the report, the program will also focus on indigenous people and minority groups. Those who are chosen to take part will receive financial support and exercises to help them build their skills.

The International YCDP will help young people, especially those in the most vulnerable countries, get the skills, knowledge, and networks they need to get involved in the climate process. This will make sure that young people's ideas and thoughts are taken into account when global climate policy is made.

It will also serve as a model for the COP process on including young people, with the goal of building a way for young people to be involved that will last for future generations.

Sponsored by the COP28 Youth Climate Champion team and the COP28 Presidency, the program will be jointly coordinated with all elements of youth-led organizations, including YOUNGO, the official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC.

The goal of the program is to bring the needs and policy ideas of young people to the forefront of global climate decision-making, build youth climate capacity, knowledge, and networks, and create a model for the fair inclusion of young people at all future COPs.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, President-Designate of COP28 UAE, said, "Young people are at the forefront of addressing the climate challenge. They are leading the way by sharing their perspectives, bringing their creativity, and contributing to the positive impact that the world needs.

"As future leaders, future scientists, future entrepreneurs, and future climate activists, their energy and youth are what will make the difference.

"The International Youth Climate Delegate Program—the largest initiative of its kind—will empower young people from around the world to fully participate in the COP process and give a special focus to those from least-developed countries and small island states."

According to the report, H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui, the UAE’s Minister of Community Development and COP28 UAE Youth Climate Champion (YCC), will work with YOUNGO to deliver the largest initiative aimed at expanding youth participation from underrepresented countries in the climate process to date.

In her role as YCC, she will raise the voice of young people around the world and advocate for youth policies during the COP process. This will make sure that young people's capacity-building and needs on the ground are given top priority.

This is in recognition of the need to empower young people in the climate action process and capitalize on the innovative ideas, skills, and abilities of the world’s nearly two billion children and youth, according to the report.

H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui, COP28 Youth Climate Champion and UAE Minister of Community Development, said, "Meaningful youth empowerment is a critical pillar towards the success of COP28.

"This is because we recognize that the energy and ingenuity young people bring to the table are key drivers in propelling momentum and providing the groundbreaking solutions needed to invigorate the pathway towards our 2030 goals.

According to H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui, the COP28 Presidency will build platforms that connect youth to policymakers and decision-makers, ensuring that they have a voice in the multilateral climate processes.

"We are committed to making COP28 UAE the most inclusive one yet. We will do this by working together with youth delegates to set higher goals."

Before the UNFCCC intersessional in June and COP28 at the end of November, the delegates will be able to talk with other young people from their home countries during and after the YCDP.

They will also take part in things like youth circles, which give them a chance to talk directly with policymakers.

The 100 International Youth Climate Delegates will closely follow the UNFCCC negotiation processes over the year, gathering input and sharing goals from their home countries to build a youth-focused strategic plan and policy vision for COP.

Prior to COP28, they will also participate in the Conference of Youth. In addition, a small number of delegates will also be invited to participate in other critical moments in the climate calendar, including the SB58 UNFCCC Intersessional in June 2023, to be held in Bonn, Germany, the Pre-COP in October, and the UN Regional Climate Weeks.

In a statement, YOUNGO shared: "Young people, especially those from vulnerable communities, are at the forefront of being burdened by the climate crisis."

"Their voices and perspectives must be the focus in international negotiation spaces. Their views added to decision-making processes would set a path to a more sustainable and equitable future.

"This is why we are working with the COP28 UAE Presidency on the International Youth Climate Delegate Program. We want to make sure that young people are involved in climate policy processes in a way that is fair, creative, and equitable."

As the report also mentioned, applications for the International YCDP are now open through the online portal and will close on April 7. The review of applications and interviews will be facilitated by YOUNGO.

The program will run from May through December, with youth delegates participating and providing input into the negotiation process to set priorities for the climate agenda at the 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY18) and COP28 from November 30 to December 12 at Expo City Dubai.

During the process, youth delegates will also get training on how to set clear policy goals for COP. They will also be expected to get different points of view and share what they've learned with the rest of their countries' communities.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to final interviews in April, with the selected delegates announced in early May.