Youth Voice: My experience as a Global Volunteer at COY19

Taking place besides COP29 in Baku, was another vast global conference of great importance, the Conference of Youth (COY). I had the privilege to participate in this year’s COY as a Global Volunteer and part of the team submitting the Global Youth Statement to the COP29 Presidency – a document that represents the recommendations of over 170,000 youth from 150 countries.

I would like to share this experience with you, to build awareness amongst youth around climate action and how youth can get involved in negotiations through COY and other platforms at the local, sub-national and national levels.

Conference of Youth is an event organized by YOUNGO, the Official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and is one of the largest global youth climate conferences in the world. It takes place days before the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) at the same location. The conference aims to recognize the importance of our generation as youth in addressing climate change and mobilizing efforts to mitigate these impacts and develop innovative solutions to adapt to a changing climate.

This year, the 19th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Youth, also called COY19, was held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 7-9 November 2024 and was officially endorsed by the COP29 presidency and the UNFCCC. With more than 350 youth selected from over 7,500 youth registrations across 170 countries, I am very fortunate to have been selected as the only Delegate to represent UAE at COY19 among global youth changemakers.

Having volunteered for Connect with Nature’s Mangrove Escape Room at COP28 in Dubai last year, I was glad to continue my involvement this year.

As a Global Volunteer for COY19, I spent the last four months with an incredibly talented and motivated group of young people across the globe, working to arrange the largest youth climate change conference. Together we helped the conference arrange logistics, supported COY social media teams, drafted COY invitation letters and reaching out to various journalists to spread the COY message and mission.

The most distinguishing feature of this conference is that it is a conference only for the youth, by the youth and with the youth. All these young people are connected with one mission – to make this world a better place with no expectation of monetary or any other reward.

The first day started with an inspirational address by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres setting the tone of optimism for the three-day conference. Over the course of the next two days, I heard from a variety of youth changemakers and environmentalists from all corners of the globe. For example, The Junior Philanthropists Foundation led a session titled Youth Climate Powerhouses, urging grass rooted movements on global policy. Similarly, an engaging workshop by the Climate Heritage Network Youth Forum focussed on heritage preservation and climate resilience, demonstrating how cultural knowledge can be integrated into climate solutions. The plethora of perspectives empowered me to connect with fellow youth with similar passions during interactive breakout sessions.

The second day of the conference was more focused on how to empower youth to find solutions for global climate-related challenges. The most inspiring session for me was YOUNGO sharing and celebrating the various achievements of Local Conferences of Youth (LCOYs) across the world, highlighting various grass root youth- led initiatives. Another fascinating session was UNICEF Climate and Green Skills Poll in which all the youth delegates were surveyed about the green skills required for a sustainable future.

I was also assigned to conduct interviews with youth delegates from Japan, India, China, Gambia, Azerbaijan, and the United States. There was a lot of hope, but I could also feel a sense of scepticism amongst the youth on whether or not we would see concrete climate action in the coming months.

After three enlightening days of sharing experiences, knowledge and ideas, the closing ceremony arrived with the Global Youth Statement officially presented to the COP29 Presidency containing the hopes, dreams and ambitions of young people around the world. This legacy of COY19 inspires me to leave Baku with a sense of accomplishment through the people I have met, workshops I have engaged in and the ideas I have helped spark.

Our generation will be the most affected by climate change and its impact. We need to step up and be part of the decision making of our collective futures.

Environmental education and awareness are a prerequisite to promoting positive climate action. In the UAE, the Connect with Nature and Leaders of Change programmes provide exceptional opportunities for youth to get involved in community engagement and volunteering activities.

If you are keen to learn and contribute at a global level, I would encourage you to also join YOUNGO. With more than 10,000 young members along with more than 1,000 youth organizations YOUNGO is truly a global youth organization.

Our youth needs to be united to promote positive climate action at all levels, in our homes, educational institutions or workplaces, our communities and even at the national and international levels. It’s our future at stake.