COP27 Presidency Thematic Days 

“Youth & Future Generations Day”

Thursday 10 November 2022
Concept Note

Background
Ensuring that the voices of children, adolescents and youth are meaningfully heard loud and
clear is one of the key objectives of the COP27 Presidency. Through the numerous consultations
held with youth  climate advocates and representatives over the past few months to integrate
their utmost priorities and concerns, it has been decided to hold a stand-alone day dedicated to
the engagement and empowerment of young people. The day will ensure that youth
perspectives are considered, centered, and integrated across all areas of the climate agenda. 
This thematic day will provide an opportunity to showcase success stories of youth-led action. It
will curate an intergenerational platform for direct interaction between young practitioners and
policymakers, as well as a series of dialogues with the High-level Champions and non-party
stakeholders.
Youth currently represents the greatest demographic on the planet and will be the most
affected by the unprecedented consequences of climate change. The future of the current and
future generations is at most risk due to the accelerating severity of the global climate crisis and
the slow and insufficient level of urgency seen in tackling it. Young people have the highest
stakes in either winning a secure and sustainable future or losing the minimum threshold of
livelihood in the foreseen future. Yet, they cannot act alone. 
Thus, the Egyptian COP27 presidency aims to lead a qualitative shift in the engagement of
youth at the global climate fora by prioritizing the inclusion of the Youth and Future
Generations Day at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh on its Presidency’s Action Agenda and its
thematic days. This pertinent day aims to raise awareness and promote the necessary
knowledge about the disproportionate impacts of climate change on young people, as well as
their significant roles and invaluable contributions in providing transformative solutions in
response to climate change. The Youth and Future Generations Day will additionally provide an
inclusive platform for a meaningful and dynamic dialogue between young people and
policymakers, including Ministers, Heads of Delegation and negotiators. 
This day is premised on the conviction of the Presidency of the status of youth and children as
natural partners in advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement and driving the global climate
agenda.

Objectives of The Thematic Day

The Youth & Future Generations Day aims to:
● Achieve more meaningful and substantive youth participation and co-leadership, and
take concrete steps towards improved coordination and coherence within an overall
partnership between youth, governments, international organizations, and civil society.
● Reinforce the integration, centering and mainstreaming of youth perspectives across the
design and delivery of all thematic areas to ensure and advocate for greater policies,
financing and services targeted to young people given the disproportional climate
impact they are exposed to.
● Provide an improved opportunity for intergenerational dialogues between youth and
policy/decision-makers as well as climate ministers and negotiators.
● Guarantee Promote the full, effective, meaningful, substantive, and representative and
inclusive participation and co-leadership of including for young women and girls, young
people with disabilities, indigenous youths, and other young people living in vulnerable
conditionssituations (i.e. refugees), youths with hidden and visible disabilities, and youth
across different social mobilities.
● Enable the exchange of successful practices, identification of challenges, and showcase
success stories of youth climate action.
● Highlight global, regional and local youth-led initiatives and solutions.
● Zoom in on the specific needs and key contributions by young people and future
generations, especially those from Egypt, Africa and the Middle East in the context of
climate change.
● Empower and enable youth-led events, including youth-led peaceful protest
actionsthrough the different forms of climate expressions such as art4climate, digital
advocacy and peaceful climate marches and protests. 
● Encourage a global level sharing of ideas to facilitate best practices of local climate
action.

Beyond the Youth and Future Generations Day:

The integration of a youth-led and youth-driven approach will be ensured by involving youth
and youth-led organizations across all the Presidency thematic days and events, together with
an invitation to the Climate Champions to apply the same integrative approach to Marrakech
Partnership global climate action events;
To ensure that youth perspectives and expertise are not confined to COY17 or the Young and
Future Generations Day, effort will be made to:
● Contribute consultation-based input from youth to the agenda;
● Consider inclusion of COY17 and Young and Future Generations Day policy
recommendations to the final decision text for COP27;
● Identify young delegates with the relevant capabilities who may be selected to
contribute as expert panelists or presenters and/or to provide a youth perspective,
taking into account gender and regional balance;
● Collate all relevant inputs and key outcomes of each event for presentation and
consideration at the Youth Forum reflection session on Young and Future Generations
Day.
● Foster the further development of a permanent dialogue and participation mechanism
for youth advocates on climate action beyond COP27, which can follow up on the action
plan and commitments made during these days.

The Annual Youth-led Climate Forum

The Youth Forum will be held during the first half of Youth and Future Generations Day on 10
November 2022. The youth-led climate forum is to be designed and implemented in
collaboration with UNFCCC Children and Youth Constituency (YOUNGO) and a diverse group of
additional youth organizations and will be organized for the first time pursuant to paragraph 65
of the Glasgow Climate Pact.
To ensure the inclusivity of the Youth Forum, efforts will be made to maximise the number of
youth able to participate in the Forumthe opportunities of youth participation in the forum
within the applicable rules and regulations., Oand opportunities for online participation of the
Forum will be explored to complement the in-person dialogues.

Other Promotional Events and Outreach Activities

The COP27 Presidency is aiming to engage all participants across diverse levels through a
number of side events and activities, via national and global media outlets, the Green Zone, as
 well as Egypt’s Pavilion and the Youth Pavilion in the Blue Zone - which will be held parallel to
the official program of the thematic days.
(This is a great proposal, and I am sure this will empower the Youth Action worldwide.
However, if you all can consider a small request for having a dedicated youth event for
Interfaith Young leaders who are mobilising and creating grassroots movements, that will be
great. This can bring in Young leaders from indigenous communities, Youth from different Faith
Based Organizations, Interfaith bodies and Decision makers. We all know the impact and the
powers faith communities hold when it comes to disseminating urgent action plans. Given
some hope we would love to work on it and make it a memorable mile stone for youth world
wide. (Shantanu) (shantanu.mandal@unmgcy.org)

  Indicative Outline of Youth and Future Generations Day

Time Description Format Responsibilities Comments

1 hr  Opening Ceremony Youth Opening Statements COP27 Presidency
of the Thematic Day and Presentation of Policy
YOUNGO
and the Youth-led Statement and COY
Youth-led UNFCCC
Climate Forum, Highlights (30 mins)
Climate session 1 ● 4-5 speakers + a
Forum moderator to be Knowledge and
selected by Implementation
YOUNGO, 5 mins Partner: UNFCCC
each

High-level Opening
Statements (30mins)

*high-level statements are

requested to exclusively
focus on reactions to and
commitments being made in
response to the global youth
policy statement, 5 mins
each

● COP President (tbc)

● Minister of Youth of
GoE.
 ● HL Representative of
the UN.
● UNFCCC Executive
Secretary.
● COP27 Youth Envoy.

1.5 hr  Passing the Baton: - 6x1 moderated panel (45’) UNFCCC Reflections from
Intergenerational which includes:  YOUNGO nominated
COP27 Presidency
Policy Dialogue on youth focal points on
Youth-led ● Two youth
Adaptation, YOUNGO the specific themes. 
Climate representatives
Resilience and Loss
Forum from YOUNGO Open (based on room
and Damage, session
● 1 youth practitioner Knowledge and capacity).
2 
● 3 high-level Implementation Other relevant
Roundtable policymakers Partner: partners to be
Discussion between (Ministers/ Heads
engaged by UNFCCC.
youth and of Delegation
policymakers and and/or negotiators) UNFCCC Finance and Means of
climate ministers and supported by Implementation are
Followed by Q&A (15’) IFRC and the
negotiators with a cross-cutting issues.
focus on adaptation, Global Centre for
resilience and loss Adaptation GCA
and damage.
1.5 hr Passing the Baton: 6x1 moderated panel (45’) UNFCCC Reflections from
Intergenerational which includes:  YOUNGO nominated
COP27 Presidency
Policy Dialogue on youth focal points on
Youth-led ● Two youth
Mitigation and YOUNGO the specific themes. 
Climate representatives
Solutions, session 3
Forum from YOUNGO Open (based on room
Roundtable ● 1 youth practitioner Knowledge and capacity).
Discussions between ● 3 high-level Implementation Other relevant
youth and policymakers Partner:  partners to be
policymakers with a (Ministers/ Heads
engaged by UNFCCC.
focus on mitigation, of Delegation
and Solutions and and/or negotiators) UNFCCC Finance and Means of
just transition. supported by Implementation are a
Session moderator can be a WB’s Connect for cross-cutting issue.
young representative.  Climate
Followed by Q&A (15’)
1.5 hr  At the Frontline: 4x1 moderated panel with COP27 Presidency Open.
Children and presenters and 2
Adolescent-led officials/experts to comment
Action for Climate and engage including 1 or Knowledge and
Change, session 4 more Minister of Education. Implementation
 With a major focus Partner:
on empowerment,
UNICEF
education and
awareness raising in Save the Children
both formal and
Child Rights
informal settings.
Connect
YOUNGO

1 hr  Young Africa: The A series of 4-5 presentations Knowledge and Youth-led session
Vehicle of Climate led by African youth climate Implementation involving young
Action (45 mins), leaders, developing and Partner: people who are
session 5a implementing solutions in developing and
Africa to showcase their implementing local
Intergenerational,
practices. COP27 Presidency solutions in Africa. 
multi-stakeholder
incl. Youth Envoy 
discussion on policy Other relevant
enablers for climate African Youth-led partners, such as
action led by African Organizations & AYICC, PACJA and
youth.  Alliances, other African NGOs.
To also include Also looking into
presentations of Egyptian addressing capacity-
youth-led initiatives followed YOUNGO building gaps for
by a moderated panel with effective youth
Q&A (20’) engagement.

1h Promising Youth-led Presentations of Egyptian Knowledge and

Climate Action youth-led initiatives followed Implementation
Stories from Egypt by a moderated panel with Partner:
(45 mins), session 5b Q&A (20’)

Ministry of Youth
and Sports
Ministry of
Environment

YOUNGO
1 hr Special Event by Moderated Discussion  YOUNGO A dedicated hour to
YOUNGO, Children YOUNGO who will
and Youth lead the design and
Constituency to delivery of the
 UNFCCC session 
1 hr Closing, Press Press Conference (30’)  COP27 Invitation to Party and
Conference Presidency  non-Party delegates
Followed with Networking
but open to all.
- Presenting key Event- if applicable (60’)  UNFCCC
conclusions of the Commence with a
YOUNGO
roundtable press conference
discussions. followed by
structured networking
- Spotlight on day
activities; followed by
deliberations and
a short speech by
take away.
COP27 Presidency and
youth delegate/s;
then free-form
networking.