COP28 UAE Youth Climate Champion

The Youth Climate Champion (YCC), is uniquely positioned to serve as the missing bridge between the COP Presidency and youth stakeholders, as well as streamlining youth coordination between governments, and UNFCCC.

The YCC will be responsible for mainstreaming youth participation and voice in the COP28 process and mobilizing substantive youth policy input and outcomes.

The YCC role aims to amplify all voices under the age of 35, with a special emphasis on youth from most vulnerable communities such as indigenous peoples, those with disabilities, and communities at highest risk.

History of the Role

Building on the foundations of the COP27 Youth Envoy, the UAE created the role of the Youth Climate Champion

YCC Strategy “PAVE”

YCC'S KEY INITIATIVES

YCC in International Events (To date)

ECOSOC Youth Forum

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum which is a key platform where young people can contribute to policy discussions at the United Nations through their collective ideas, solutions and innovations.

YCC team co-organized “Harnessing the Power of Youth Climate Action” side event with UNDP with 70+ climate action leaders attending.
YCC team ran consultations with over 30 young global climate leaders.
YCC team held a Networking Reception including 100+ participants.

LDC 5 Conference

The Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries aimed to accelerate sustainable development and tap the full potential of the Least Developed Countries on the road to prosperity.

YCC team held consultations with the official LDC5 youth delegates to gather the needs and priorities on climate change of youth from LDCs.
Plans for the International Youth Climate Delegate Program (IYCDP) were announced, and brainstorming held on how the program could best deliver for youth from most affected countries.

Petersburg Climate Dialogue

The Petersberg Climate Dialogue was launched in 2010 by former German Chancellor Merkel and brings together selected states on an annual basis to prepare the ground for successful negotiations at the COP climate change conferences.

3 UAE Youth Delegates actively participated in several activations throughout the event. 
YCC team held a youth consultation with 20+ youth participants.

SB58 Bonn Climate Conference

The SB58 Bonn Climate Conference saw engagement from different local & international delegates, including local, and featured the inaugural "Youth Stocktake Event" organized by YCC.

10 local and international delegates participated.
YCC lead the first “Youth Stocktake Event” assessing opportunities and challenges for youth inclusion within the UNFCCC.
Announcing the selection of 100 IYCDP delegates.

Africa Climate Week

With Africa being the youngest continent, YCC rolled out a series of events actively addressing African youth's climate challenges.

11 Youth Climate Delegates actively participated in several activations throughout the week.
YCC team ran a YCC Help Desk where the team engaged with 200+ African youth to familiarize them with the role, initiatives and provide support.
Her Excellency and delegates visited Kibera, engaging with youth leaders addressing climate change impacts. Her Excellency invited two community members to COP28 to amplify Kibera's voice.
YCC and YOUNGO partnered for events like a green job fair and youth-led project networking. Initiatives, including the Green Job Fair, will expand at COP28, promoting holistic commitments for youth and children.

United Nations General Assembly's 78th Session (UNGA78)

On the sidelines of UNGA and Climate Week NYC, YCC partook and lead several events to elevate youth's role in the different climate processes.

10 International Youth Climate Delegates actively participated in several activations throughout the week.
YCC team raised support for the formalization of the role through meetings with Parties, UN agencies and philanthropy.
Conved a Youth Ambition Majlis aimed at providing young people with a platform to candidly connect with the presidency.
Built rapport with key target youth audiences through events held with leading youth activists and indigenous youth.

MENA Climate Week

5 Youth climate delegates brought youth priorities and underrepresented perspectives to the forefront across plenary events, workshops, and panel sessions.
Youth delegates met with key decision-makers, including HRH Prince Abdelaziz, HH Sheikha Shamma, and HE Razan Al Mubarak.
YCC championed events with YOUNGO and different UN agencies: high level youth event, Youth Stocktake consultation, Youth4Capacity workshops, intergenerational dialogues, and Changemaker Majlis.
Launching the official COY18 & COP28 Youth Toolkit with the Arab Youth Center, that provides a comprehensive guide for youth ensuring their effective participation in events at and in the lead-up to COP28.

Latin America & Carribean Climate Week (LACCW)

4 International youth climate delegates engaged in various speaking engagements where they discussed their sectors of expertise, including oceans, adaptation, and indigenous issues.
The team led 2 events: a Changemakers Majlis focused on engaging young individuals in discussions about youth involvement, and another event co-organized with UNICEF, UNDP, and RCOY Latin America, highlighting the importance of youth engagement in policy making, especially at COP.
The team ran several meeting including the Cuban Minister of Environment to emphasize youth inclusion at COP28, the Italian delegation to discuss YCC institutionalization and the Indigenous Caucus to enhance communication and engagement of indigenous youth at COP.

Pre-Cop

18 youth climate delegates participated in diverse sessions during the critical final climate ministerial before COP28.
Youth Climate Delegates delivered a message of hope and inclusion to climate world leaders and ministers during the Pre-Cop opening.
In collaboration with YOUNGO, young people presented the Global Youth Statement (GYS) for the first-time during Pre-Cop. GYS is the centrepiece youth advocacy document for COP28.

History of the Role​