Conferences of Youth

An LCOY is an event under the umbrella of YOUNGO, the official youth constituency at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Its aims are to be a space to boost youth climate action locally and create an input into the international conferences. It represents a national version of the international Conference of Youth (COY), which takes place immediately before the Conference of Parties (COP), the annual UN-Climate Conference.

The COY is organized by the youth constituency YOUNGO. There, participants from all over the world can understand climate negotiations better, network with other engaged youth, get tools to get active and organise themselves before the COP.

YOUNGO – youth in action!

The logo of YOUNGO

The official youth constituency to the UNFCCC brings together a global network of groups and individuals identifying themselves as youth and raise their voice on climate change. During COPs, members of YOUNGO lobby for policies, deliver speeches, participate in actions, blog and engage on social media and interact with the secretariat. They also keep an overview of what is happening in climate negotiations and whether climate policies discussed are on track. The work is organised in working groups, e.g. policy, and subgroups, in this case ranging from adaptation to finance, gender or human rights. Every morning at COP, YOUNGO has a council meeting to share information and take decisions. During COP11 in 2005, young people started to get organized for the first time. Since then, the Conference of Youth has taken place annually and the International Climate Youth Movement has been an advocate for youth at negotiations. In 2009, this movement received formal representation through YOUNGO. Being an observer constituency, it cannot vote but has the power to represent youth in meetings with officials or in climate negotiations.

COY 14 in Katowice, Polen (November 2018) (c) Rosa Castaneda/Jeffrey Qi

Climate politics
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Picture in the header: (c) COY 13 Bonn