UN to Governments – Give Youth a Spot « It’s Getting Hot In Here

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.

About Kyle

Kyle Gracey is the Chair for SustainUS: U.S. Youth for Sustainable Development. He is a Harris Fellow and dual M.S. student studying public policy and geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago, where he is writing his thesis on the long-term job creation potential of clean energy generation. He serves on the university's Sustainability Council, where he helped launch a bike sharing program that will provides job training to at-risk youth. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with degrees in Ecological Economics, Values & Policy and Biochemistry/Biophysics. There, he was the President of EcoLogic and Vice President of Finance and founding member of the Engineers for a Sustainable World chapter. He also studied international developmental and environmental issues at The American University in Washington, DC and in Brazil, Israel, Iceland, and the United Arab Emirates. A Truman Scholar, Kyle has worked in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation as an Environmental Policy Analyst and as an International Economist Intern in the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, and was an Education Docent at the National Aquarium. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the youth science & technology policy organization Student Pugwash USA, and is the University of Chicago Representative for both the Clinton Global Initiative and Campus Progress. He previously served as SustainUS Treasurer, Citizen Science Technical Board member, delegate to the UN Commission for Social Development, and delegate and domestic coordinator for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He has written for everything from the Worldwatch Institute & Climate Progress to his hometown newspaper, and been interviewed by media from Chicago radio to French documentaries to Japanese science wire reporters.

4 Responses to “UN to Governments – Give Youth a Spot”

Feed for this Entry Trackback Address

1 njoroge ikkonye Oct 14th, 2009 at 11:38 am

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.
2 Kyle Oct 14th, 2009 at 3:37 pm

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).