Youth Participation in theUNFCCC Negotiation ProcessTHE UNITED NATIONS, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Youth Participation in the UNFCCC Negotiation Process:The United Nations, Young People, and Climate Change

A publication of the United Nations JointFramework Initiative on Children, Youth and Climate Change

2010-05Layout: 5F, Adam Axelsson

Thank you to the photographers who have contributed tothis endeavour: Liam O'Doherty (TakingITGlobal),

Emma Biermann (UKYCC) and Ebony Payne, Ellie Johnston,Erin O’Sullivan and Kyle Gracey (SustainUS).

Foreword

Theworld needs to take concerted, ambitiousaction to limit the magnitude of climatechange and adapt to its inevitable impacts.

These impacts, including droughts andrising sea levels, are especially alarming foryoung people who will inherit the world inthe years to come. Following the outcomesof the fifteenth session of the Conferenceof the Parties in Copenhagen (COP 15), aninclusive and pragmatic way forward needsto be found at meetings of the UNFCCC,with a view to effectively responding toclimate change and safeguarding the live-lihoods of future generations.

As a recognized civil society actor, the youthconstituency has demonstrated its eagernessto participate in UN climate change mee-tings. Since September 2008, the UNFCCCsecretariat has been working together withUnited Nations agencies, non-govern-mental organizations and young people topromote active youth participation in theclimate change negotiation process throughthe Joint Framework Initiative on Children,Youth and Climate Change. I thank all ourpartners for their support to this endeavorand congratulate them for their successfulactivities at COP 15. I also thank them forcontributing towards this booklet on youthparticipation in the UNFCCC negotiatingprocess.

This collaborative effort confirms the com-mitment of the United Nations system toengage youth in activities related to climatechange. We hope to continue working withyoung people and call on them to continueto be enthusiastically involved in the globalresponse to the enormous challenge of climatechange.

YVO DE BOER

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY,UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORKCONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

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FOREWORD BY YVO DE BOER 1ACRONYMS 3INTRODUCTION 4

YOUTH IN THE UNFCCC NEGOTIATION PROCESS 6

GROWING TOGETHER IN A CHANGING CLIMATE:YOUTH PARTICIPATION AT COP 15/CMP 5 10

The Road to Copenhagen 10YOUNGO at COP 15/CMP 5 11Why is it important to involve young people in the UNFCCC negotiations? 12Moral/equity-based value 13Indirect value to the outcome of the negotiations 15Direct value to the outcome of the negotiations 15

EXAMPLES OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION INOTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROCESSES 17

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UN CSD) 17The United Nations General Assembly (UN GA) 17The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) 17The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 18The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 18The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) 18

THE WAY FORWARD: ENHANCED YOUTH PARTICIPATIONIN THE UNFCCC PROCESS 22

Short term 22Medium-term 25Long-term 26

END NOTES 28

Table of Contents

AWG-LCA Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the ConventionAWG-KP Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto ProtocolCBD Convention on Biological DiversityCOP Conference of the PartiesCOY Conference of YouthCSO Civil society organizationDESD Decade of Education for Sustainable DevelopmentIGO Intergovernmental OrganizationIPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationUNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationUN CSD United Nations Commission on Sustainable DevelopmentUNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationUNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeUNICEF United Nations Children’s FundYOUNGO The youth constituency under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

stands for Youth Non-Governmental Organization (Youth NGO)

Acronyms

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Introduction

In preparation for the fifteenth session of the Conference ofthe Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC and the fifth session of theConference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Partiesto the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), the United Nations Joint Frame-work Initiative on Children, Youth and Climate Changereleased the brochure “Growing Together in a ChangingClimate: The United Nations, Young People, and ClimateChange,” which contained information on some of the manyclimate change initiatives – projects, campaigns, educationaltools, websites and publications – produced by the UnitedNations and young people.

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They ranged from global initiatives raisingawareness for combating climate changeto advocacy efforts at the UNFCCCnegotiations.

As a follow-up to this publication, theUnited Nations Joint Framework Initiativeis now releasing “Youth participation in theUNFCCC negotiation process.” Thispublication is intended to inform govern-ments, intergovernmental organizations(IGOs), non-governmental organizations(NGOs) and young people on how youthparticipation has taken place at sessions ofthe UNFCCC starting with COP 5, high-lighting increased efforts by young people toadvocate for effective solutions to tackleclimate change. For governments, it aims tobe a guide to better understand youngpeople’s involvement in the UNFCCC

negotiation process. For the United Nationsfamily, it is intended as a means of sharinginformation and best practices on howyoung people participate in internationalpolicy making processes. For the public atlarge, it provides inspiration and assuranceof the commitment by young people toachieve a more sustainable world.

The information presented here was gatheredthrough a series of interviews with govern-ment delegates, United Nations officials,representatives of NGOs and young people.The responses received were reviewedand complemented with information readilyavailable from public sources, such aswebsites and publications.

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AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 25

It is imperative that youth from all parts of theworld participate actively in all relevant levels ofdecision-making processes because it affectstheir lives today and has implications for theirfutures. In addition to their intellectual contributionand their ability to mobilize support, they bringunique perspectives that need to be taken intoaccount.

Youth in the UNFCCCNegotiation Process

According to the Guidelines for the Participationof Representatives of Non-governmental Organizationsat Meetings of the UNFCCC, “representativesshall normally be at least 18 years of age.Younger representatives may be registeredat the discretion of the secretariat.”3 Thishas translated into a greater number of youngpeople rather than children participating inthe UNFCCC intergovernmental process.

At COP 5 in Bonn, which took place from25 October to 5 November, 1999, youngpeople participated in a parallel Childrenand Youth Forum on the Environment andin the session of the COP itself as membersof NGOs shaping official interventions andlobbying delegates. The Government of theNetherlands hosted a special internationalyouth meeting in parallel with COP 6,where young people crafted a youth decla-ration, which was presented to the COPPresident. At COP 7 in Marrakesh, youthorganizations made statements “urging amove toward a low carbon-emitting future,and entry into force of the Protocol as thestart of a ‘long path’ in combating climatechange.” At COP 8 in New Delhi, a parallelchildren’s conference drafted a “Children’s

Charter on Climate Change,” which statedthe younger generation’s concerns about theeffects of climate change to their future.Young people came together as an “orga-nized caucus” for the first time at COP 10in Buenos Aires, drafting a declarationwhich called for “the recognition of a YouthConstituencyGroupwithin theCOP in orderto assure youth participation, in line withother groups such as businesses, indigenouspeople and environmental organizations.”At COP 11/CMP 1 in Montreal, theGovernment of Canada sponsored anambitious “International Youth Summit”organized by Canadian environmentalyouth groups.

Building on these experiences, youth haveorganized pre-conferences called “Confe-rences of Youth” before every meeting ofthe COP/CMP since COP 11/CMP 1.Young people held the second Conferenceof Youth prior to COP 12/CMP 2 inNairobi, which helped built their capacityto participate in the UNFCCC process byproviding them with negotiating skills and abroader understanding of climate changescience. At COP 13/CMP 3 in Bali, young

The grouping of civil society referred to as “youth” is definedby the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as personsbetween 15 and 24 years of age.1 This definition overlaps withthat of “children,” defined by theConvention on theRights of theChild as all persons between 0 and 18 years of age.2

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people held the third Conference of Youthand actively participated in the COPthrough press conferences and side events.At COP 14/CMP 4, over 500 young peoplecongregated in Poznan to request govern-ments to work together to reach anambitious climate treaty. They also blogged,analysed policy developments, stagedcreative awareness-raising activities, andorganized two international capacity-buildingtraining workshops to kick-off their partici-pation in COP 14/CMP 4.

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Growing Together in a ChangingClimate: Youth Participation atCOP 15/CMP 5

Prior to COP 15/CMP 5, the secretariatgranted a provisional constituency status toyoung people. This new constituency isreferred to as YOUNGO. The constituencystatus (a) provided a conduit for theexchange of official information betweenyoung people and the secretariat; (b) assistedthe secretariat in ensuring an effectiveparticipation by youth appropriate to anintergovernmental meeting; (c) coordinatedyoung people’s interaction at sessionsincluding convening constituency meetings,organizing meetings with officials, providingnames for the speakers list and representa-tion at official functions; and (d) providedlogistical support to youth during sessions.5

Following the provision of constituencystatus, YOUNGO now elects two focalpoints who help liaise between youngpeople and the secretariat. This electionwill take place after each meeting of the

COP/CMP and involve hundreds of youthorganizations and youth leaders active inthe UNFCCC negotiations. In order toensure an inclusive process, one focal pointis elected among youth from developingcountries and the other among youth fromdeveloped countries. The constituency statusensures formal speaking slots during plenarysessions, facilitates access to secretariat staff,and provides access to office space duringmeetings of the UNFCCC. YOUNGO isalso invited to workshops and other eventsorganized by the secretariat to share viewsand experiences on specific thematic issues.

In preparation for COP 15/CMP 5, youngpeople participated in the intersessionalmeetings in 2009, created sub-groups toplan on-site activities in Copenhagen,carried out a selection process for youthdelegates from Parties not included inAnnex I to the Convention (non-Annex I

The Road to Copenhagen

Immediately after COP 14/CMP 4 in Poznan, young peoplestarted preparing to participate at COP 15/CMP 5. This meet-ing, according to the Bali Road Map, was programmed tocomplete a comprehensive process to enable the full, effectiveand sustained implementation of the Convention throughlong-term cooperative action up to and beyond 2012.4

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Parties) who would receive financial supportto participate at COP 15/CMP 5, plannedand implemented advocacy strategies bymeeting with government’s representativesin their respective capitals, and organisedthe Conference of Youth.

YOUNGO at COP 15/CMP 5With the financial support of the Govern-ment of the Netherlands and the technicalassistance from the secretariat, YOUNGOdesigned and planned a series of events toenhance the participation of young people,especially those from developing countries,at COP 15/CMP 5.6

Young people sought to actively influenceParties to agree upon ambitious, legally bin-ding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissionsand to reach consensus on how to moveforward with further commitments forAnnex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocolbeyond 2012. Furthermore, young peoplewanted to share their hopes and aspirationsfor international action towards addressingclimate change issues.

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GROWING TOGETHER IN A CHANGING CLIMATE:YOUTH PARTICIPATION AT COP 15/CMP 5

About 1500 young people participated inCOP15/CMP5 as representatives of Parties,NGOs and the media. In collaboration withthe Joint Framework Initiative, youngpeople organized side events under thebanner of a Young and Future GenerationsDay, including an intergenerational inquirywith the UNFCCC Executive Secretaryand high-level governmental officials. Atthis event, young representatives chosen bytheir peers shared their plans and actions torespond to climate change. Other sideevents included high-level briefings withofficials such as the Chair of the Ad HocWorking Group on Long-term CooperativeAction under the Convention (AWG-LCA),the Chair of the Ad Hoc Working Groupon Further Commitments for Annex IParties under theKyoto Protocol (AWG-KP),the Chairman of the IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change, and the SpecialEnvoy of the United Nations SecretaryGeneral on Climate Change. Thesemeetings provided an opportunity for youngpeople to share views and learn more aboutthe status of negotiations at COP 15/CMP5, the state of climate science and thecommitment by theUnitedNations system toinvolving youth in climate change activities.

As part of the general exhibition area,young people set up a “Youth Arcade,”consisting of fifteen youth-related booths.Within this area, the secretariat, in colla-boration with young people, hosted aUNFCCCYouth Booth where participating

United Nations agencies and youth organi-zations presented their initiatives on climatechange and youth. This was a place for allactors to display their success stories,identify synergies and develop new part-nerships. All events taking place at the boothwere included in the official dailyprogramme distributed to COP 15/CMP 5participants.

Young people carried out awareness-raisingactivities such as helping plan and presentthe Fossil of the Day award, which wasbestowed on those governments performingthe worst during the past day’s negotiationsat meetings of the UNFCCC.

As members of Party delegations, youngpeople were increasingly pro-active in thenegotiation process. One concrete exampleinvolved a delegate from Switzerland takinga prominent role in the capacity-buildingnegotiations under the AWG-LCA.

Why is it important to involve young peoplein the UNFCCC negotiations?In addition to the initiatives previouslylisted, young people have contributed todeliberations at meetings of the COP/CMPthrough plenary interventions, web-onlysubmissions to the COP/CMP, submissionsto the subsidiary bodies and direct lobbyingwith delegates. In preparation for and inbetween sessions, youth participated inworkshops organized under the auspices ofthe COP/CMP and held informal meetings

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with the UNFCCC Executive Secretary.These contributions can be classified on thebasis of their merits as adding:

(a) moral/equity-based value,(b) indirect value to the outcome of the negotiations,

and(c) direct value to the outcome of the negotiations.

Moral/equity-based valueInvolvement of young people in theUNFCCC negotiation process provides anavenue for elaborating holistic approachesto tackle climate change and promotesustainable development. For example,according to a Party representative, hisgovernment is “pleased to promote theparticipation of youth in climate changeactivities because it will contribute tofighting climate change through increasingefforts in education, public awareness andpoverty eradication. We need our newgeneration to work together to achieve ourcommon goal in tackling climate change.”Another Party representative stated “Iwould like to strongly support the need totake into account the concerns of youngpeople and involve them in shaping ourthinking when negotiating for a fair, equi-table and inclusive climate deal, which willbe legally binding. As senior citizens of thisPlanet, we have a moral obligation to ensurethat we do all that it takes to reach anagreement whichwill ensure that our childrenand great grand children inherit a safer planetthan we did from our great grant parents.”

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The youth is ourfuture! You will beat the table todecide how yourfuture will be.ADNAN Z. AMIN, DIRECTOR OFTHE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM CHIEFEXECUTIVES BOARD FOR COORDINATIONAT COP 15/CMP 5

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ACCORDING TO YOUNG PEOPLE INTERVIEWED,

their participation adds value beyond a moralimperative. In their own words, the principle that“decisions taken about us, should not be takenwithout us” should be recognized as a means toimprove policy responses to climate change.Other international agreements relating to publicparticipation include:

- Agenda 21, Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration,which affirms the rights of members of civilsociety to participate in international inter-governmental decision-making processes onenvironmental matters, and Chapter 25, whichstates that “involvement of today’s youth inenvironment and development decision-makingand in the implementation of programmes iscritical to the long-term success of Agenda 21”;

- the United Nations Convention on the Rights ofthe Child, which stipulates that “when adultsare making decisions that affect children, child-ren have the right to say what they think shouldhappen and have their opinions taken intoaccount”;

- the United Nations Economic Commission forEurope (UNECE) Aarhus Convention on Accessto Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in EnvironmentalMatters, which stresses that citizens and NGOspromoting environmental protection have theright to participate in decision-making processes;

- the United Nations World Programme on Actionfor Youth, as well as United Nations GeneralAssembly Resolutions 52/83, 54/120,56/117, 58/133, 59/148, 60/2, 62/126,64/130, which call for more youth representa-tion in official government delegations;

- Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civiland Political Rights, which guarantees the rightto take part in the conduct of public affairs.

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Indirect value to the outcome ofthe negotiationsYoung people’s objectives at meetings of theCOP/CMP are diverse; while some attendto share their views with delegates, othersattempt to raise awareness about the workof their organizations through side events.These events offer opportunities for opendialogue and exploring new topics that maynot be fully discussed during meetings ofthe COP/CMP given the limitation of timeand scope of the agenda. Side events aresuccessful in identifying concrete linkagesbetween local activities by youth and issuesdiscussed at intergovernmental negotiations.

Young people’s activities at COP/CMPmeetings demonstrate their willingness tocontribute to the process but are not sufficientfor effective participation at meetings of theCOP/CMP. Young people seek to expandtheir activities by initiating hearings withParty delegates and informal meetings withrepresentatives of the COP/CMPBureau todirectly share their views on the negotiatedtext.

Direct value to the outcome of thenegotiationsPlenary sessions offer a direct opportunityto add value to the negotiation process.However, given the timing of the interven-tions (they usually come at the end of theproceedings), these tend not to be fullyeffective in influencing Parties’ positions.A representative of a youth organizationstated that “youth interventions were

scheduled at times when the room wasempty of Party delegates. This was especi-ally true for the final YOUNGO interven-tion addressing the ‘full’ plenary, scheduledduring a time when most delegates were onbreak.”

Some young people attend the UNFCCCnegotiations as members of official delega-tions of their respective countries. Suchyouth delegates bring new perspectives andcapacity to the delegation, while gainingnew and applied skills. For example, anofficial youth delegate to COP 15/CMP5stated that he was able to interact with hisMinister and provide feedback to thedelegation’s daily planning. Another officialyouth delegate shared that he was able to toexplain the scientific rationale behind the350 parts per million target, which latercontributed to shaping his country’s supportto a 1.5-degree global temperature goal.

Young people in official delegations distillfrom the process a more nuanced under-standing of the negotiation dynamics,which is shared in turn with other membersof the YOUNGO constituency and theirdomestic networks. This understanding canenhance the effectiveness of youth input tothe negotiations, in particular when lobbyinggovernment delegates.

GROWING TOGETHER IN A CHANGING CLIMATE:YOUTH PARTICIPATION AT COP 15/CMP 5

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It is the youth of the world who can setthe agenda for the future and pursue itwith diligence.We must do all we canto empower young people to take action,because the future belongs to them.

It is the youth of the world who can setthe agenda for the future and pursue itwith diligence.We must do all we canto empower young people to take action,because the future belongs to them.RAJENDRA PACHAURI, CHAIRMAN OF THEINTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE AT COP 15/CMP 5

Examples of YouthParticipation in OtherIntergovernmental Processes

Across the United Nations system, young people have beenactively and effectively participating in intergovernmentalprocesses.

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The United Nations Commission on Sustain-able Development (UN CSD), prompted bythe outcomes of the Johannesburg Plan ofAction stemming from the World Summiton Sustainable Development, recognizesyouth as a major civil society group. Duringthe sessions of the UN CSD, young peopleare able to deliver opening statements as partof the general debate and are part of aninteractive discussion between major groupsand governments. Youth also participate inthematic dialogues on the implementationof the work of the UN CSD, take part in ahigh-level segment with Ministers andprovide overall comments during the closingPlenary of each session7

The United Nations General Assemblyhosts youth delegates who are invited toattend the full duration of its sessions, andactively participate in the meetings of theThird Committee that deliberates onSocial, Cultural and Humanitarian Issues.Youth delegates participate in the generalwork of their Missions through attending arange of meetings, informal negotiationsand providing assistance in monitoringdebates and drafting reports. The UN GA

also held informal interactive hearings withnon-governmental organizations to receivetheir input prior to important sessions suchas the 2005 Millennium Summit.

The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) since 2007 has been holding minist-erial roundtables, which provide a space forconstructive dialogue between governmentdelegates and civil society representatives,including young people. These roundtableshave offered a “smaller, more informalset-up of twenty participants that has helpedto ensure that the quality of the dialoguehas been much higher than in many otherUnited Nations Forums.”8 The topics dis-cussed have ranged from mechanisms tocreate a green economy to understandinginternational environmental governance ata country level.9

UNEP implements a long-term strategy onthe engagement and involvement of youngpeople in environmental issues.10 One keycomponent entails a youth advisory councilcomprised of up to seven advisors (onefor each of the six UNEP regions plusone representative of indigenous youth).The Council advises UNEP, especially at

EXAMPLES OF YOUTH PARTICIPATIONIN OTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROCESSES

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meetings of its Governing Council, onbetter ways of engaging young people in itswork and represents young people in inter-national environmental fora. The Councilseeks to increase youth involvement inUNEP’s work by informing youth groups intheir regions about UNEP’s programmesfor young people. Members of the AdvisoryCouncil are elected at each Tunza Interna-tional Youth Conference to serve for aperiod of approximately two years.11

The United Nations Educational, Scientificand Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hasalways had a major focus on youth in itsprogrammes.12 UNESCO seeks to empoweryoung people by reaching out to them andencouraging their participation in itsprogrammes, various networks and partnerorganizations.

The UNESCO Youth Forum has emergedas a very important tool to engage youngpeople in UNESCO’s work. The YouthForum is an integral part of the Organiza-tion’s General Conference, the highestdecision-making body which meets everytwo years to define the UNESCO’s generaldirection and budget. In 2003, the GeneralConference unanimously decided to makethe Youth Forum a permanent feature priorto its biannual meetings.

The Youth Forum brings together youthdelegates from all over the world toexchange views, share experiences, reflecttogether and identify common opportunitiesand challenges. Their discussions lead to a

final report which is presented at the GeneralConference, allowing for young people’sviews, concerns and recommendations to betaken into account by the representativesof the Member States and the UNESCOSecretariat.13

The Joint United Nations Programme onHIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) organized in June 2008,within the context of the High-level meetingon AIDS, an Informal Interactive Hearingaimed to be “an opportunity to exchangeviews between civil society and MemberStates on various issues, with a particularfocus on key priority issues for civil society,including young people, in achievinguniversal access to prevention, treatment,care and support by 2010.”14 These day-long hearings helped to inform the rest ofthe high-level negotiations, and the Presidentof the General Assembly drafted a reportsummarizing its proceedings. The feedbackfrom participating stakeholders suggestedthat the quality of the civil society input intothe High-Level Meeting was very high.15

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Youth are the leaders and citizens oftomorrow.They need to be engaged inshaping their future which starts today.AHMED DJOGHLAF, EXECUTIVE SECRETARYOF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITYAT COP 15/CMP 5

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The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)allows civil society representatives, includingyouth, tomake interventions when recognizedby the Chair of the Plenary or a WorkingGroup. Civil society representatives madestatements in formal sessions of the COP tothe CBD, once all Parties had taken thefloor on a particular topic.16 Host countrieshave also encouraged parallel events, suchas the Global Civil Society Forumduring the CBD COP.

The United Nations Convention to CombatDesertification (UNCCD) holds open dialoguesessions with civil society organizations(CSOs), including the active participation ofyoung people, during its Conference of theParties. The UNCCD also holds a dedicatedsession for CSOs during its High-Level Seg-ment in order to ensure effective input by civilsociety to the deliberations of the Conferenceof the Parties.17 Parties provide their regularcontributions to a supplementary fund,reserved to ensure wider participation of civilsociety organizations in the official UNCCDmeetings. By decision 5/COP.9, Parties to theUNCCD adopted the proposal that a jointpanel composed of representatives of civilsociety organizations and the secretariat beformed in order to apply the selection criteriafor financial support for their participation inUNCCD meetings and processes, consistentwith the established rules of procedure of theConference of the Parties. Furthermore, bydecisions 11-12-13-14/COP.9, CSOs of allconstituency groups were called to contributeto the national reporting and review processby providing input to best practices onSustainable Land Management and theiterative process.18

Our commitementas UNEP is tobring the voicesand energy ofyoung people toprovide leadership.They will succeedwhere we havefailed.ACHIM STEINER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOROF THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENTPROGRAMME AT COP 15/CMP 5

EXAMPLES OF YOUTH PARTICIPATIONIN OTHER INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROCESSES

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The Way Forward: EnhancedYouth Participation in theUNFCCC Process

Short term:A. Schedule plenary interventions ear-

lier in each session of the UNFCCCconstituted bodies:As noted by someParties, a greater number of governmentdelegates will be able to take youthinterventions into consideration if thesestatements are made at the beginning ofthe sessions.

B. AllowYOUNGOtomakestatementsin contact groups open to NGOs,when appropriate: Chairs of nego-tiation groups could allow YOUNGOrepresentatives to provide inputs through-out the meeting, if possible, to addressthe issues at hand and thereby avoidgeneral references to procedural issues.

C. Regularly schedule informal meet-ings betweenYOUNGOrepresenta-tives and officials such as theUNFCCC Executive Secretary andmembers of the Bureau of theCOP/CMP and of its subsidiarybodies: Young people have recognizedthat informal meetings allow them togain a better understanding of the statusof the negotiations, plan their activitiesaccordingly, and provide timely input ina constructive manner.

D. Organize briefings and informalmeetings for YOUNGO representa-tives with key negotiators duringUNFCCCmeetings:During such brie-fings, invited negotiators could makeshort interventions on the status of the

Based on a series of interviews with government delegates,United Nations officials, representatives of NGOs and withyoung people themselves, the following suggestions are deve-loped as a way forward to enhance youth participation in theUNFCCC negotiations. They are presented on a short-, medium-and long-term basis and could be adopted by governments, theUnited Nations family, NGOs and young people in theirefforts to promote and facilitate youth participation in theUNFCCC negotiations.

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negotiations. This would be followed byquestions from young people. Informalbriefings could provide YOUNGOrepresentatives the opportunity to openlyshare points of view with negotiators.These meetings could also leverageexisting video conferencing technologiesand foster participation by young peoplenot present at the sessions.

E. Liaise with YOUNGO representa-tives about logistical issues thatmaylimit their effective participation atUNFCCCmeetings: Access to venuesholding UNFCCC sessions may belimited due to space constraints tied tothe increasing number of participants atthese events. During interviews, youngpeople requested that specific steps betaken to address logistical issues at futuremeetings. It would be pertinent to helpthem plan strategies to effectively andconstructively participate at UNFCCCnegotiations.

F. Ensure continued logistical supportfrom the secretariat at UNFCCCmeetings, includingoffice space andan identifiable area in the exhibithall: It was noted how well this workedfor the first time at COP 15/CMP 5,especially as young people were able tocreate a youth arcade.

G. Increase thenumberof official youthdelegates ingovernmentdelegationsto UNFCCCmeetings and establishguidelines for their participation:Having official youth delegates ingovernment delegations promotes com-munication and mutual understandingbetween negotiators and youth civilsociety participants. Official youth dele-gates facilitate communication flow aswell as understanding of respectivepositions, roles, and constraints betweengovernment negotiators and civil societyactors. Governments also stated theneed for guidelines that could helpthem identify and recruit official youthdelegates.

H. Provide funds to support attendanceby young people at UNFCCCmeet-ings, including intersessionals andregional workshops, without affec-ting the level of support for eligibleParties: Youth and other groups haveoften cited lack of funds as the mainimpediment to their participation atUNFCCC meetings. The support ofthe Government of the Netherlands foryouth activities at COP 15/CMP 5demonstrated that targeted funds foryouth participation can increase thequality and impact of youth activities asoutlined in previous sections.

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Medium-term:A. Hold multi-stakeholder forums,

roundtablesand/orcivil societyhear-ings prior to UNFCCC meetings:Multi-stakeholder forums can range fromshort meetings to long-term processesthat can take months to implement.Scope of the activities would have to bedetermined keeping in mind time con-straints. Roundtables provide a forum toencourage high quality discussion,which are directly linked to the negotia-tion process. However, skilled facilitationand reporting is required to guaranteeeffective participation by stakeholders.Civil society hearings could differ informat, but tend to last between 1–3hours and allow participants between2– 3 minutes for each statement. Thecontent of the discussions is usuallyrecorded in written summaries and/orcould be captured via webcast. The out-comes of these hearings could be inclu-ded in the official documentation of theappropriate body (i.e. Subsidiary Bodyon Implementation or COP/CMP).

B. Enhanceexisting clearinghouse sys-tems such as the Climate ChangeInformation Network (CC:iNet)18

to support information sharing,networking and collaboration byyouth participating in the UNFCCCnegotiation process: The resourcesoffered by CC:iNet could be utilized tosupport the work of young people by

retaining institutional memory, sharinginformation among them, and interactingwith government officials on an on-goingbasis.

C. Provide technical support for thepreparation of, and follow-up to,youth activities at UNFCCC meet-ings:Youth, especially from developingcountries, have stated that their abilityto provide technical input on specificissues is sometimes hindered by lack ofresources and access to negotiators intheir countries. By receiving technicalsupport related to climate change, suchas access to latest scientific findings andup-to-date policy research analysis,youth will be able to provide moreconstructive and targeted input into thenegotiation process.

D. Provide timely and accurate infor-mation on the status of the negotia-tions through daily NGO briefingswith the secretariat staff: Youngpeople have identified the need fortimely and accurate information duringthe proceedings of UNFCCC meetingsas essential to their ability to effectivelyparticipate in the negotiation process.Other forums such as the UN CSD havealready established similar practices.

THE WAY FORWARD: ENHANCED YOUTHPARTICIPATION IN THE UNFCCC PROCESS

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Long-term:A. Hold a special session with youth

participation during high-levelsegments of the meetings of theCOP/CMP: Given the increasingimportance of climate change issues,special activities may be required in thelong term as a way to provide youth withthe opportunity to effectively participateat high-level segments of the sessions ofthe COP/CMP.

B. Establish a process to review theeffectivenessof youthparticipationinthe UNFCCC negotiations: The sec-retariat could be requested to regularlyreview actions taken by governments,the United Nations system, NGOs andyoung people to promote youth partici-pation in the UNFCCC negotiations.

C. Create a trust fund to support youthactivities in preparation of, duringand following UNFCCC meetings:The Convention on Biological Diversitycurrently holds a general voluntary trustfund to support the work of indigenouspeoples and local communities to facili-tate their participation at meetings of itsCOP. Such arrangement could be adap-ted to support the work of youth withinthe UNFCCC negotiation process.

THE WAY FORWARD: ENHANCED YOUTHPARTICIPATION IN THE UNFCCC PROCESS

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1 United Nations General Assembly, A/36/215 and Resolution 36/28, 1981.

2 Convention on the Rights of the Childhttp://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm

3 Guidelines for the Participation of Representatives of Non-governmental Organizations at Meetingsof the Bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changehttp://unfccc.int/files/parties_and_observers/ngo/application/pdf/coc_guide.pdf

4 Decision 1/CP.13http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2007/cop13/eng/06a01.pdf

5 Non-governmental organization observer constituencieshttp://unfccc.int/resource/ngo/const.pdf

6 60 children and young people from non-Annex I Parties were able to participate COP 15/CMP 5 throughthis arrangement.

7 United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Developmenthttp://www.un.org/esa/dsd/index.shtml

8 Stakeholder Empowerment Project Case Study on the UNEP Ministerial Roundtables

9 UNEP/GC.25/17http://www.unep.org/GC/GC25/Docs/Proceeding-FINAL.pdf

10 UNEP/GC.22/3/Add.1/Rev.1http://www.unep.org/gc/gc22/Document/k0263641.pdf

11 United Nations Environment Programme TUNZA Networkhttp://www.unep.org/tunza/youth/Home/tabid/3731/language/en-US/Default.aspx

12 For more information on UNESCO’s Youth actionshttp://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/social-transformations/youth/

13 More information on the UNESCO Youth Forumhttp://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/social-transformations/youth/youth-forums/6th-unesco-youth-forum-in-2009/

14 Proposed arrangements for the high-level meeting for a comprehensive review of the progress achieved inrealizing the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDShttp://www.un.org/ga/president/62/letters/letter110408.pdf

15 Stakeholder Empowerment Project Case Study on the UNAIDS Civil Society Hearing during the High-levelMeeting on AIDS, 2008.

16 The Convention on Biological Diversity: Understanding and Influencing the Processhttp://www.ias.unu.edu/resource_centre/A%20Guide%20to%20Understanding%20CBD.pdf

17 ICCD/COP(9)/18/Add.1http://www.unccd.int/cop/officialdocs/cop9/pdf/18add1eng.pdf

14 ICCD/COP(9)/4/Add.1http://www.unccd.int/cop/officialdocs/cop9/pdf/4add1eng.pdf

19 Climate Change Information Network (CC:iNet)http://unfccc.int/cc_inet

End notes

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