Dubai: The 18th edition of the Conference of Youth (COY18) has kicked off at EXPO City Dubai.
The conference, which is running until November 28, is being held ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28).
The three-day conference has been co-hosted by the Arab Youth Center, The American University of Sharjah (AUS), and New York University Abu Dhabi’s Green House.
Young people are the future generations and agents of change, and sharing your stories and your innovative ideas for climate change solutions is vital.
Ms. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, stated.
The conference offers the youth an opportunity to discuss and support intergovernmental climate change policies and promote change at the local and international levels.
Ms. Almheiri remarked that, “When it comes to empowering youth for a resilient future, our approach is three-fold. The first is to provide young people with opportunities to access climate information and better understand the issues the planet faces. We then provide them with the tools to decide on the best course of action to take, and finally, we build a platform to make their voices heard. I am proud of the work the UAE has done to ensure this at COP28”.
More than 1000 young people from across the world gathered for the COY18 in Dubai to amplify their voices as they advocate for climate change.
The opening ceremony was attended by Ms. Shamma bint Suhail Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of Community Development, COP28 Youth Climate Champion and Deputy Chair of the Arab Youth Center, and Mr. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Digital Economy, Artificial Intelligence and Remote Work Applications.
Organized by the Children and Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO, UNFCCC), COY18 aligns with the efforts of this global network of young activists and non-governmental organizations, which shape international climate change policies and officially represent youth concerns in UNFCCC processes.