Representatives of youth organization from around the world gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday to explore ways in which young people could play an active part in global efforts on combating climate change.
The theme of the conference, "Interactive dialogue on climate change solutions," is organized by the UN Program on Youth, UN officials said.
While all people around the world will be affected to some degree by the consequences of climate change, youth representatives and the meeting organizers believe that future generation, including young people of today, are likely to suffer greater consequences if no action is taken today.
"Young people are highly adaptable at making sustainable lifestyle choices and adopting new habits," Nicola Shepherd, the United Nations Focal Point on Youth, said. "They are at the forefront of finding solutions to address climate change and are our important allies in this process."
The event aims to explore the impact of climate change on youth. It is being held as a side-event of the 47th Commission for Social Development, which was held on Feb. 4-13. Participants will discuss many of the initiatives that are being taken by youth themselves around the globe to combat climate change.
At the meeting, participants are also expected to contribute their views to the biannual World Youth Report, which is expected to be launched later this year. The 2009 World Youth Report, titled "Youth and Climate Change," is expected to tackle issues such as youth, climate change and the social development agenda, youth consumption patterns, reforming education for climate protection.
The "Interactive dialogue on climate change solutions" is the latest in a series of initiatives to sustain the growing awareness of young people and their desire to be actively involved in climate change issues.
On Dec. 5, 2008, several young delegates took part in a UN- inter-agencies event during the Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, to share their views and concerns.
The issue of climate change was singled out by UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon as one of the major challenges facing the world at large in 2009.