Ensuring proper advocacy work on youth issues at the UNFCCC

[Sébastien Duyck]

Dear Denisse, Falko, all,

(members of the Youth-in-the-text policy WG, please see the earlier messages on this trend at the bottom of the mail)

A huge thanks to Denisse and Falko for starting this discussion and researching on references to youth in UN(FCCC) documents.

I definitely support the assessment that there is a clear need for more coordinated efforts among the youth representatives/delegates to influence the political outcomes of the negotiations. Now let's change this ASAP so that we can influence the work done in Bonn.

We have managed to strengthen the status of youth participation and the UNFCCC process and youth presence is now taken by actors as granted. However I have heard many times other persons involved with the UNFCCC express their doubts whether YOUNGO is able to influence the process and to do some productive lobbying work on concrete aspects of the negotiations. According to those, the main thing that youth have been successful at, is to claim a bigger space for themselves. But at the moment this space is not being use as effectively as it could be.  Now of course, this is only the view point of a few people observing how the participation of youth at the UNFCCC evolves and I would love to prove them wrong together.

For instance, while youth are more active at the UNFCCC, the outcomes of the negotiations (LCA texts...) do not reflect this and do not contain sufficient references to the role of young people in addressing mitigation and adaptation. If we want to obtain references to youth in the wording of the COP decisions, we will need at some point to go beyond the organization of side events showcasing our actions and work directly with the drafting process.

Last year, based on the same assessment, we created a specific thematic group of the YOUNGO Policy WG on youth references in the negotiations text. I invite you to join this group and to restart discussions on this issue: http://groups.google.com/group/getting-youth-in. The Youth Access WG is dealing purely with issues related to the negotiation process and to the participation of young people to the UNFCCC, while youth-in-the-text is a policy WG.

What we would need urgently, is a plan on how to address this issue at Bonn2. Could someone (not necessarily attending Bonn2) prepare a briefing note on this issue for the youth delegates who will be there? This could for instance include a comparison of the references to youth in the Copenhagen texts and in the new LCA chair text so that we can better identify where/if references are being removed and lobby to keep those in, based on the UN agreed language.

I also support the idea to work on advocacy in relation to references to both youth and children. 

If anyone is keen on working further on this and provide information (as Denisse did) while not being in Bonn, I will make sure the documents are being shared and used at the intersessionals.

Parties delegates (many of them) are really keen on taking youth input into consideration, as long as we manage to phrase it in a clear and constructive language.

Looking forward for more comments/inputs,

Seb

---

Sébastien Duyck
duy...@gmail.com

Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
P.O. Box 122
FIN-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland

Skype/CS/twitter: duycks

2010/5/21 Falko Mohrs <falko...@vcp-wolfsburg.de>

Dear Denisse, dear Seb,

 

first of all I would like to congratulate again everybody who was involved in Christiana’s campaign and her great success! I really hope that she will be able and willing to promote and work towards full and effective youth participation.

 

Furthermore, thanks, Denisse for your input! And I’m convinced it is very important to bring up out youth’ interests in different parts and from all different sides and angles.

 

Please let me add some short aspects to Denisse’s mail:

 

Para 17 of the latest UN Youth Resolution (A/RES/64/130) is calling for youth delegates (youth representatives in national delegations) not only for the UNGA but inter alia for all relevant UN Conferences. And following our conviction and many official statements, these conferences are reevant! However, we have to keep in mind that despite the official YD were important parts of YOUNGO and contributed in a very valuable way and ensured a youth involvement even in some closed groups and circles, YOUNGO was build on the diversity of youth’ engagement. We have to ensure that this diversity of youth representation will continue – and while YD are successful and crucial tools in advocating on a political level we have to be active through different approaches.

 

Furthermore I would like to stress a point that Denisse has made – very often it’s far easier to bring up agreed language in UN negotiations – even if it is taken out of other resolutions. This ensures the idea of mainstreaming and a cross-sectoral approach to youth policy. The Para Denisse was referring to was #5 of the last youth resolution.

 

Finally I would like to bring up a wording on capacity building we’ve prepared together with the official YD at COP15. Although the Swiss YD was pushing hard for this, we haven’t been completely successful. However, I’m still convinced that this is still of utmost importance. Please find the wording attached to the mail.

 

@Sebastian: I know that I still have to fulfil my promise concerning the guide/infos on official YD – I will try to work on it asap. I had to take care of some other urgent issues in the last weeks.

 

All the best wishes – take care

 

Falko

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falko Mohrs
Representative, European Scout Region
World Organisation of the Scout Movement


Avenue de la Porte de Hal, 38 - 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium
Tel: +49 (0) 179 59 89 349
Fax: + 32 2 534 1654
Email: falko...@vcp-wolfsburg.de
Skype name: f.mohrs

www.scout.org/europe

This e-mail is confidential. If you receive it in error, please advise by return e-mail and delete it.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail - Veuillez considérer l'environnement avant d'imprimer ce e-mail.

 

 

---

Von: Denisse Becerra [mailto:denni....@gmail.com]
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 19. Mai 2010 23:30
An: Sébastien Duyck
Cc: Falko Mohrs; youth-acc...@googlegroups.com; Ben Vanpeperstraete; Eugene Nho; eugene.nho; Felipe Valencia-Dongo; Felipe Valencia-Dongo; Kelly Blynn
Betreff: Youth Participation in LCA text (Intersessionals June)

 

Dear Sebastien,

 

 

        In the team we are very exited about Christiana's vistory. I hope that this helps to increase the level of participation of the youth in the negotiations of the texts.I read the message regarding youth participation and interventions in the Bonn2 sessions in June and it brought some thoughts on that matter:

 

• If we are asking for more Youth Participation, we have to also suggest under which terms we are asking this increase. And also suggest an specific role for the Official YD.
• We have Official Youth Delegates to the United Nations because there is a youth resolution in the Third Committee, and they have the chance to intervene in the drafting sessions. Is this going to be the case of a possible youth participation at the COPs??
• If we (YOUNGOs and Accredited organizations) can do some interventions in the plenary and have the chance to do some lobby why not push some more points.

 

       I've done some research on the LCA texts, and compile the paragraphs that mention something about youth in them. From what I've seen, youth are not consider a focal point in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and I think that is a mistake. I think its important that through these documents youth organizations receive governmental support and recognition as key actors in solving the climate change issue.So we should "push" or  "lobby" for getting that youth empowerment stated in the texts.

 

      There is a very important point that hasn't been added to the LCA text and I think is very important: Youth Entrepreneurship. I added in one of the pages of the excel book, an extract of the Youth Resolution adopted by consensus in the 64th UNGA. In that resolution its mention that the assembly suggest member states to promote youth entrepreneurship in renewable energy sectors. SInce the idea comes from a UN resolution, I think it might be "easier" to "squeeze" in the drafting sessions. What do you think? 

 

      I am attaching the excel with the recompilation and some proposals for wording. Please feel free to add your thoughts and ideas.  I am copying this e-mail to the Youth_Access google group, and some people I think are very interested in the subject..

 

I would be looking forward to receive your feedback,

 

 

Kind Regards

 

 

Denisse

--
Denisse Becerra
Marketing and Communication Director | 350Peru.org
Former UN Youth Delegate for Peru 2009

www.350peru.org

mobile: +511 9934 52058
skype: dennib88
twitter: dennib88

*** Please consider the environment before printing this email.

[Ebrima Dem]

Hello all,

Thank you for the update. I am following keenly your corespondence.

Best wishes

Ebrima S. Dem

Global Unification-The Gambia

On Sun, May 23, 2010 at 8:21 PM, Falko Mohrs <falko...@vcp-wolfsburg.de> wrote:

Dear (former) Youth Delegates to COP15,

 

Hope this mails finds you well and that most of you are still active in the UNFCCC context and are going on working on youth participation and the youth’ perspective.

 

However, I would like to know if someone of you is interested to follow up a bit the idea that are presented in the mails (see below). In case you do, please com in contact wit Denisse, Sebastian, Ben or me.

 

Unfortunately I’m responsible for two long term training courses on African as well as on Global Youth participation and some other advocacy work towards the MDG during the next weeks. I won’t be able to put a LOT of effort into it from my side but will be available for any kind of question and/or reflection if wanted and needed.

 

@Denisse: Concerning your other mail, I’ll participate in the UN Advocacy meeting in the end of June. I could bring up the idea – we could link it to the current BIG priority, the MDG. 2010 is a year in which the World Youth Conference as well as the last review will take place. However, if you’re interested in applying – the call for participants is open for 3 more days, but please be aware that the travel costs won’t be reimbursed for observers.

 

All the best wishes – take care

 

Falko

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falko Mohrs
Representative, European Scout Region
World Organisation of the Scout Movement


Avenue de la Porte de Hal, 38 - 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium
Tel: +49 (0) 179 59 89 349
Fax: + 32 2 534 1654
Email: falko...@vcp-wolfsburg.de
Skype name: f.mohrs

www.scout.org/europe

This e-mail is confidential. If you receive it in error, please advise by return e-mail and delete it.

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail - Veuillez considérer l'environnement avant d'imprimer ce e-mail.

 

 

[Bernadette]

Hi Falko and Denisse and all,

Just to let you know that WAGGGS together with Ray from WOSM and a few
others were quite involved in this effort at COP 15 and we have
identified getting youth in the text and supporting official youth
delegates as one of our two policy priorities for COP 16 (the other
one is - surprise surprise ;-) - girls and young women and their
community leadership in tackling climate change). We might identify
some more as we go along but I basically just wanted to let you know
that you can count on our support. Having said that, we will actually
not attend any meetings before COP16 but we are available for support
with writing statements, briefings etc. So if somebody wants to make a
start I am very happy to chip in and it would be really great
strategize a bit some time soon. What do you think?

All the best,
Bernadette

On May 23, 3:29 pm, Sébastien Duyck <duy...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Denisse, Falko, all,
> (members of the Youth-in-the-text policy WG, please see the earlier messages
> on this trend at the bottom of the mail)
>

> *A huge thanks to Denisse and Falko for starting this discussion and
> researching on references to youth in UN(FCCC) documents.*

>
> I definitely support the assessment that there is a clear need for more
> coordinated efforts among the youth representatives/delegates to influence
> the political outcomes of the negotiations. Now let's change this ASAP so
> that we can influence the work done in Bonn.
>

> We have managed to* strengthen the status of youth participation and the
> UNFCCC process* and youth presence is now taken by actors as granted.

> However I have heard many times other persons involved with the UNFCCC
> express their doubts whether YOUNGO is able to influence the process and to
> do some productive lobbying work on concrete aspects of the negotiations.
> According to those, the main thing that youth have been successful at, is to
> claim a bigger space for themselves. But at the moment this space is not
> being use as effectively as it could be.  Now of course, this is only the
> view point of a few people observing how the participation of youth at the
> UNFCCC evolves and I would love to prove them wrong together.
>

> For instance, while youth are more active at the UNFCCC, *the outcomes of
> the negotiations (LCA texts...) do not reflect this *and do not contain

> sufficient references to the role of young people in addressing mitigation
> and adaptation. If we want to obtain references to youth in the wording of
> the COP decisions, we will need at some point to go beyond the organization
> of side events showcasing our actions and work directly with the drafting
> process.
>

> Last year, based on the same assessment, we created a *specific thematic
> group of the YOUNGO Policy WG* on youth references in the negotiations text.

> I invite you to join this group and to restart discussions on this issue:http://groups.google.com/group/getting-youth-in. The Youth Access WG is
> dealing purely with issues related to the negotiation process and to the
> participation of young people to the UNFCCC, while youth-in-the-text is a
> policy WG.
>

> What we would *need urgently*, is a *plan on how to address this issue at
> Bonn2*. *Could someone (not necessarily attending Bonn2) prepare a briefing
> note on this issue for the youth delegates who will be there?* This could

> for instance include a comparison of the references to youth in the
> Copenhagen texts and in the new LCA chair text so that we can better
> identify where/if references are being removed and lobby to keep those in,
> based on the UN agreed language.
>

> I also support the idea to work on advocacy in relation to *references to
> both youth and children*.

>
> If anyone is keen on working further on this and provide information (as
> Denisse did) while not being in Bonn, I will make sure the documents are
> being shared and used at the intersessionals.
>
> Parties delegates (many of them) are really keen on taking youth input into
> consideration, as long as we manage to phrase it in a clear and constructive
> language.
>
> Looking forward for more comments/inputs,
>
> Seb
> ---
> Sébastien Duyck
> duy...@gmail.com
>
> Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
> P.O. Box 122
> FIN-96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
>
> Skype/CS/twitter: duycks
>

> 2010/5/21 Falko Mohrs <falko.mo...@vcp-wolfsburg.de>

> > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------­---------

>
> > Falko Mohrs
> > Representative, European Scout Region
> > World Organisation of the Scout Movement
>
> > Avenue de la Porte de Hal, 38 - 1060 Bruxelles, Belgium
> > Tel: +49 (0) 179 59 89 349
> > Fax: + 32 2 534 1654

> > Email: falko.mo...@vcp-wolfsburg.de

> > Skype name: f.mohrs
>
> >www.scout.org/europe
>
> > This e-mail is confidential. If you receive it in error, please advise by
> > return e-mail and delete it.
>
> > Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail - Veuillez
> > considérer l'environnement avant d'imprimer ce e-mail.
>

> >  ------------------------------
>
> > *Von:* Denisse Becerra [mailto:denni.bece...@gmail.com]
> > *Gesendet:* Mittwoch, 19. Mai 2010 23:30
> > *An:* Sébastien Duyck
> > *Cc:* Falko Mohrs; youth-acc...@googlegroups.com; Ben

> > Vanpeperstraete; Eugene Nho; eugene.nho; Felipe Valencia-Dongo; Felipe
> > Valencia-Dongo; Kelly Blynn

> > *Betreff:* Youth Participation in LCA text (Intersessionals June)

>
> > Dear Sebastien,
>
> >         In the team we are very exited about Christiana's vistory. I hope
> > that this helps to increase the level of participation of the youth in the
> > negotiations of the texts.I read the message regarding youth participation
> > and interventions in the Bonn2 sessions in June and it brought some thoughts
> > on that matter:
>

> >    - If we are asking for more Youth Participation, we have to also

> >    suggest under which terms we are asking this increase. And also suggest an
> >    specific role for the Official YD.

> >    - We have Official Youth Delegates to the United Nations because there

> >    is a youth resolution in the Third Committee, and they have the chance to
> >    intervene in the drafting sessions. Is this going to be the case of a
> >    possible youth participation at the COPs??

> >    - If we (YOUNGOs and Accredited organizations) can do some

> > *** Please consider the environment before printing this email.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -