Local Conference of Youth on Climate Change (LCOY) in Turkmenistan

Building on the successes of 2021, this year’s event will be officially endorsed and supported by YOUNGO (The Official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)).

The conference will be organised in hybrid mode, to welcome young delegates from all regions of Turkmenistan, such as members of Youth Organisation of Turkmenistan, current and previous cohorts of young SDG Ambassadors in Turkmenistan, university students, current students and graduates of UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy and other young climate activists.

The aim of the event is to highlight the role of the younger generation as a key partner in the fight against climate change and inspire young people of Turkmenistan to get actively involved in climate change campaigning, train youth and build their capacity for climate action, as well as to discuss and debate major climate change issues that affect Turkmenistan and ways to resolve them.

The one-day conference will include presentations and seminars from leading experts, young activists and politicians. This year's themes include challenges posed by climate change; green, sustainable and modern energy; food security and sustainable agriculture; sustainable consumption and production patterns; and environmental education and upbringing, gender equality and climate change.

As a result, the participating youth will focus on climate related topics that have high national importance, discuss and develop respective outputs, which will be then fed into the Global Youth Climate Conference 2022 (COY17) and, consequently, into the climate negotiations at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).

OBJECTIVES:

• To provide a space for young people to share knowledge, raise awareness and empower local youth to advocate for national actions to address climate change in Turkmenistan;
• To evaluate and report on activities that were planned in the Roadmap of Turkmenistan Youth Climate Change Conference in 2021;
• To develop common policy positions and strategies to best advocate for the interests of youth;
• To empower young people to take active climate action at local and national levels, bring their voices to the processes of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to shape intergovernmental climate change policies;
• To promote the involvement of youth to make their voices, recommendations and demands heard to state leaders and decision makers;
• To ensure meaningful youth participation and representation in future multilateral, national and local decision-making processes;
• To build the capacities of young climate leaders of Turkmenistan through additional training and education to broaden their perspective on the ongoing climate change action and sustainable development;
• To foster meaningful relationships between young climate leaders, government and other key stakeholders in the formation and implementation of climate change policies.