YOUNG PEOPLE TAKE THE LEAD IN CLIMATE ACTION AND DECISION-MAKING IN GENEVA

On October 2, Caritas Internationalis together with partners Vides Internazionale, Istituto Internazionale Maria Ausiliatrice and Centre Catholique International de Geneve, hosted a hybrid event in Geneva in conjunction with the 54^th Session of the Human Rights Council (11 September – 13 October) to promote youth leadership and participation in climate action and decision-making.

Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis Alistair Dutton co-moderated the event Embedding Youth Leadership and Participation into Climate Action and Decision-Making Within and Beyond the Caritas Network held at the Palais des Nations Unies and highlighted the importance of fostering the proactive involvement of young people in decision-making processes. “Caritas values youth engagement, not only for the future of our organisations, but also as key important actors in our present. Caritas is more and more trying to enrich our decision-making spaces by actively making place for young people to participate within them,” he said.

‘Youth and Human Rights: Empowering Youth in Addressing Climate Change and Global Environmental Decision-Making’ is a key point within the agenda of the 54^th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council. Caritas Internationalis, through its Together We global campaign aimed at reducing poverty and protecting the environment, recognises and upholds the pivotal role young people play in fostering a more sustainable and healthy planet now and for future generations.

“Caritas values youth engagement as a cornerstone of our mission, especially when it comes to climate action. We understand that their innovative ideas, their enthusiasm and their unwavering dedication bring a fresh perspective and renewed energy to our work. That is why we have taken concrete steps to involve them actively,” said Alfonso Apicella, Global Campaigns Manager at Caritas Internationalis.

Alongside other guests who joined the event online from around the world, H.E. Yessenia Lozano Gallegos, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of El Salvador to the United Nations Geneva; John Marazita III from the Republic of Kiribati and Liaison to the UN & ILO Geneva; and Helen Griffiths from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) engaged in a dialogue with youth representatives from Caritas and beyond.

Winton Herman from the Cook Islands, Caritas World Youth Day delegate and co-chair of the Caritas Oceanic Youth Alliance, emphasised the importance of education and intergenerational dialogue in encouraging young people to “step up” to the challenge of taking action on climate change. “Our traditional knowledge is something that’s very important in the Cook Islands and it’s something we’re really driving into our youth. Because a lot of our traditional knowledge is based on sustainability, togetherness and a whole community,” he said.

Mario Galbert from Jamaica, a member of the 75^th Youth Advisory Group coordinated by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, called on the UN to create mechanisms and processes that are more inclusive of the younger generation, who are truly among the change makers in the world. “You can count on my generation to do a reset of the multilateral systems if given enough opportunities and support to do so,” he said. “However, the UN must work for us and, with us, secure the best outcome possible at the UN Summit of the Future 2024.”

Towards the conclusion of the event, Matteo Consiglio, United Nations Environment Program intern and Caritas Internationalis Youth Delegate, presented the eight preliminary recommendations of the youth participants:

1. Empower Youth Leadership: Recognise and support youth leadership in climate action by providing resources and platforms for young activists to lead initiatives, share their perspectives and drive change.
2. Foster Intergenerational Collaboration: Encourage and facilitate collaboration between generations in climate efforts. For example, establish mentorship programmes and intergenerational dialogue platforms.
3. Promote Co-Generated Knowledge: Encourage the co-creation of knowledge by involving youth in research, data collection and analysis processes. Prioritise participatory approaches that draw from youth’s lived experiences, ensuring that their insights inform climate strategies.
4. Define Comprehensive Success Indicators: Develop a set of comprehensive success indicators for climate initiatives, encompassing environmental, social and governance outcomes that take onboard the lived experience of young people. Monitor and evaluate progress using these metrics to ensure well-rounded impact assessment.
5. Remove Barriers to Innovation: Identify and address barriers that hinder innovation in climate action spaces, such as restrictive regulations, limited access to funding, or bureaucratic obstacles. Cultivate an environment where creative solutions can thrive.
6. Mainstream Youth Voices in Decision-Making: Integrate youth perspectives into climate policy and practice by including them in advisory boards, consultative processes and policy development teams. This includes systematic mainstream youth rights through existing UN Human Rights mechanisms, especially the UPR and the Treaty Bodies.
7. Establish a mandate for a Special Procedure on youth rights.
8. Member States to table and adopt a youth resolution at the sixth United Nations Environment Assembly due to be held in Kenya in 2024.