The United Nations on Monday opened applications for its 2019 Youth Climate Summit with an offer of 100 “Green Tickets’’ to eligible young people from around the world to participate in the event.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit comes up on Sept. 21 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Ms Amina Mohammed, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, announced the offer at a meeting preparatory to the Climate Action Summit, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday.
Mohammed explained that the gesture was meant to recognise the “vital role of young people in driving climate action’’.
According to her, the Green Tickets provide funded opportunities, including travel to and from New York, for young people, especially from the least developed countries, to participate in the event.
Applications for the summit will be open until July 19, and all applicants will be considered for a Green Ticket, according to a statement on the UN website.
Youths between 18 and 29 can apply through the Youth Climate Summit website www.un.org/en/climatechange/youth-summit.shtml.
Successful applicants, including recipients of the Green Tickets, will be selected on the basis of merit, according to the statement.
The criteria for eligibility include “a demonstrated commitment to climate action and problem-solving as well as considerations of need’’.
“The allocation of Green Tickets will ensure that youth from all regions of the world have an equitable and realistic chance to participate in the Youth Climate Summit.
“Applications will be assessed by a panel led by the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.
“The panel will include experts from within the UN and from civil society with experience across the Sustainable Development Goals, reflecting the interdependence of climate action and sustainable development,’’ it explained.
The UN deputy secretary general said the summit was “all about both recognising and empowering our youth’’.
She urged young people from all countries who have a passion for finding climate solutions to apply.
“It will be an incredible experience, and we need all the talents of our youth on board to have the impact we urgently need” she said.
The Youth Climate Summit precedes the Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit, which will take place at the UN headquarters on Sept. 23.
The youth summit will come a day after the Fridays for Future Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20, where an “unprecedented mobilisation of young people from the global south and north is expected to declare the global climate emergency’’.
The event is expected to bring together young innovators, entrepreneurs, change-makers and activists to showcase their solutions, exchange ideas and grow networks.
This will enable them to take their place on the global stage with decision-makers across governments, business and civil society, in line with the UN Youth Strategy: Youth 2030 launched by the Secretary-General last year.(NAN)
