UAE Youth Climate Delegates unite to make COP28 most youthful

The United Arab Emirates' Youth Climate Delegates have concluded their first official meeting at Dubai Youth Hub. This meeting marked a significant milestone for youth involvement in COP28, as key stakeholders in the UAE's youth and climate space came together to collaborate with the delegates and engage them in activities leading up to COP28.

The delegates engaged in extensive discussions on practical solutions to engage and involve youth in the climate conversation, and planned their activities for the road ahead, in collaboration with various stakeholders, including COP28, the Youth Climate Champion team, the Arab Youth Centre, and the Federal Youth Authority.

Each entity complemented the other, covering a spectrum of activities designed to maximise youth involvement and leadership in climate change on the local, regional, and international levels, leading up to the 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY18) and the 18th UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP28).

The Ministry of Culture and Youth, in collaboration with the Office of the UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change, launched the first cohort of the UAE Youth Climate Delegates Programme in mid-March 2023. This programme, targeting youth in the UAE, aims to ensure the inclusion of youth voices in climate change processes, build the capabilities of youth through awareness and capacity building, empower them to take actionable steps towards climate action, and showcase the UAE's youth empowerment model at COP28.

The programme brings together ten participants from six different nationalities, who are all passionate and active in climate change advocacy. The delegates, namely Hoor Ahli, Lindani Zungu, Karishma Asarpota, Malak Abdullah, Mohamed Eissa, Lateefa Almansoori, Manal Nadeem, Kenza El Gamra, Gheed Abdul Jabbar, and Amal Al Gergawi, were selected based on their expertise in the field and demonstrated commitment to climate action.

At COP28, the UAE delegates will be joined by 100 international delegates as part of the International Youth Climate Delegate Programme, a programme which was recently launched by the incoming COP28 Presidency. This programme is designed to empower UAE youth to become leaders in the field of climate change, and this meeting marks an important step forward in achieving this goal.

The programme runs from March to December 2023, during which the youth delegates will participate in and provide input into the negotiation process to set priorities for the climate agenda in the 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY18) and COP28. They will undergo capacity building and training to build clear policy targets for COP and gather perspectives while bringing learning back to their wider communities in their countries. Overall, the programme aims to provide a platform for youth to engage in climate action and to empower them to become leaders in the fight against climate change.