The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat, Yvo de Boer, just issued its 18 page instruction letter to governments to help them prepare for the Copenhagen negotiations.
What was our buddy Yvo de Boer‘s last message to governments before signing off on the letter?
Give youth a voice on your delegations.
Specifically, his letter says:
Finally, I would like to bring to the attention of Parties a recent resolution (47/1) which was
adopted at the United Nations Commission for Social Development [CSocD] at its session in February 2009, which urges Parties ‘to consider including youth representatives in their delegations as appropriate, bearing in mind the principles of gender balance and non-discrimination, and emphasizes that such youth representatives should be selected through a transparent process which ensures that they have a suitable mandate to represent young people in their countries.’
(emphasis is mine)
That’s due to efforts at the Comission on Social Development (CSocD) by some countries, particularly Mexico, and many years of youth activism at the United Nations, including SustainUS’s, to push for more youth representation at these important meetings.
It’s not a binding resolution, and youth representatives on government delegations are not a substitute for independent youth voices. It also raises the question of whether other constituencies should get government spots if youth do.
Still, it’s one more way for youth to gain representation (and sometimes influence) when their governments try to speak for them and for their future. So far, only a few governments actually include a youth representative on their delegations to United Nations meeting. Spots for youth reps to the climate negotiations are particularly sparse.
Maybe Yvo’s letter will start to change that.
there is a need for youth to be included in the upcoming COP15 negotiation. Basically, the youth are the most vulnerable members of the society which will be adversely affected by climate change. on the other hand, the youth consist of over 50% of the entire population and by not including them, it will deny them an opportunity of deciding their future. we say yes to the youth in making decision.
Absolutely.
Even by the most generous definition (0-29), however, youth don’t make up more than 50% of the population. It’s a little over 28% if you call “youth” 10-24 years of age (Population Reference Bureau).