The 18th Conference Of Youth Will Be Hosted In The United Arab Emirates

The Arab Youth Center, The American University of Sharjah (AUS), and New York University Abu Dhabi’s Green House are honored to announce their selection as official co-hosts for the upcoming 18th edition of the Conference of Youth (COY18). To be held in November in the UAE in the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28), COY18 serves as a platform for climate advocacy, capacity building and policy development training to prepare the youth for their participation in international climate discussions and events.

The youth-led event aims to empower and amplify young voices in different international settings. It offers the youth an opportunity to discuss and support intergovernmental climate change policies and promote change at the local and international levels.

Organized by the Children and Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO, UNFCCC), the event is in line with the work of this global network of children and youth activists and non-governmental organizations shaping  international climate change policies and formally representing youth concerns in UNFCCC processes.

COY18 will focus on youth contributions to the conference’s three major components—policy document, capacity building, skill-building and workshops, which synthesizes the collective demands of children and youth across the world.

“As an institution committed to sustainability and climate change, we are excited to collaborate with YOUNGO and our co-hosts on this important platform. COY18 will provide a space for young leaders to exchange ideas and develop skills that will empower them to contribute meaningfully to climate action,” said Julia Carlow, Acting Head of Sustainability at AUS.

“We’re determined to deliver an outstanding COY in the United Arab Emirates, drawing upon the valuable lessons learnt from previous experiences. With a strong commitment to excellence, we navigate through the preparations, transforming challenges into opportunities. We will be actively engaging with and incorporating the voices and needs of the youth, ensuring their perspectives are integral to our implementation process,” said SadeqJarrar, Executive Director of the Arab Youth Center.

“Delegates will be given the invaluable opportunity to partake in a series of dynamic workshops focusing on critical areas such as negotiations, youth advocacy and more. These workshops will empower individuals to become effective agents of change in combating the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change” said KhalifaBallaith, a representative from NYUAD’s  youth-led climate think tank Green House.

YOUNGO and COY18 co-hosts will work with an unwavering shared commitment to equip the global youth to tackle global climate discussions, look forward to contributing to the major components of COY18 and its official output document, the Global Youth Statement (GYS), and to organizing a successful international climate youth event.