On 26th September 2023, the Human Rights Council held a panel on youth and climate change. The Swiss UN Youth Reps were present during the formal debate and co-organized a side event about young people displaced in the context of climate change. The side-event was co-organized with the Finnish Youth Delegate Hung Li and held at the Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva. We are grateful for our excellent panelists, who contributed with their expertise:
- Verena Knaus, Global Chief Migration and Displacement, UNICEF
- Iulia Duca, Programme Support Officer for Migration, Environment and Climate Change, IOM
- Beatrice Tisato, Human Rights Officer, Migration Unit, OHCHR
During the formal debate of the Human Rights Council, the following key points stood out:
1. Meaningful youth participation in decision-making about climate change: Numerous representatives emphasized the urgency of meaningfully involving young people in climate governance and decision-making processes. Tokenism and symbolic gestures should be replaced with substantial engagement to harness the potential of youth in combating climate change.
2. Climate change as a human rights issue: Climate change's severe impact on fundamental human rights, including the escalation of extreme weather events and infectious diseases, is a significant concern. Damages due to climate change should be viewed through a human rights lens and the disparities in climate-footprint (particularly from industrialized nations) vs. the overproportinal effects of climate change (particularly in the global south) need to be addressed.
3. Empowerment Through Education and Capacity Building: Youth has already been at the forefront of climate-action for years, advocating and striking against the dirtsuction of the planet and therewith the future. To ensure effective youth participation, NGO representatives highlight the importance of providing accessible environmental education and capacity building support. These efforts will empower young people to continue to actively with climate issues, fostering their role as leaders of today in the fight against climate change.
Consecutively, we held our side event, which was attended by international youth delegates from various member-states, official representatives of UN-member states including Switzerland and Finland, as well as young students and interedted people from the public. The side-event was held in a panel discussion format, moderated by Hung Li and Pleun Vaartjes with closing remarks by Arlinda Ramqaj. Together with the panelists, we addressed the following questions:
The side-event highlighted the urgent need for a holistic and human rights-based approach with an emphasis on the specific subset of children and youth rights, to address the challenges posed by climate-induced displacement. We emphasized the significance of integrating climate action with human rights principles, to ensure that the most vulnerable populations are not left behind in the face of the climate crisis. The event also aimed to foster a sense of collective responsibility among member states, UN agencies, NGOs and stakeholders to protect the rights and dignity of those affected by climate-induced displacement, in line with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and international human rights conventions.
Swiss Youth Reps would like to thank all collaborators and attendees, especially the panelists, the Finish Youth Delegate Hung Li, the Permanent Mission of Finland, and the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs for their support.
Disclaimer: All statements made are the personal impressions and opinions of the authors and may not necessarily represent the official views of the organizations Swiss UN Youth Reps operate under.
