Online consultation with Arab Youth Climate Actors

In line with UNESCO’s firm belief in youth capacities and in meaningfully engaging youth in its work, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States/Cairo Office held a virtual consultation with Arab Youth Climate Actors in the Arab region on Monday 22 June 2020. The consultation aimed to discuss youth’s knowledge needs in the area of climate change, and to co-design an upcoming UNESCO knowledge product that aims to highlight and promote youth action in the field of climate change in the Arab region, and encourage research and innovation led by young people in this area. More than 40 young women and men participated in the consultation.

The consultation was marked by the active and positive participation of young people. It demonstrated the breadth and depth of Arab youth-led climate action. Participants expressed the need for a knowledge product that serves the needs of academic researchers; environmental advocates seeking to raise awareness and influence climate policies; as well as entrepreneurs in the green economy. The participants also unanimously agreed on the importance of covering both national and Arab regional level climate action, and to include both electronic and physical components.

It is planned that UNESCO Cairo Office will build on the results of this preliminary consultation in co-developing a knowledge product for the youth and by the youth.