Biennial panel discussion on youth and human rights: Young people’s engagement with climate change and global environmental decision-making processes

Human Rights Council, 54th session: Statement by Finland, delivered by Mr. Hung Ly, UN Youth Delegate, 26 September 2023.

Honorable chair,

According to UNHCR there are over 43 million forcibly displaced children below the age of 18. A significant number of these forcibly displaced children and young people live in areas that are vulnerable to climate impacts and natural disasters without access to their rights such as the right to education. 

In addition, annually climate change is already responsible for over 400,000 deaths per year by drought,and increased heat. It's a threat to the realization of human rights.

Many children and young people are already left behind: Those being most affected are not being heard or even provided the opportunities to be included in climate policies and global environmental processes.

Thus, we need to establish more informal ways of including young people into climate related decision making - This could be in the form of regularly consulting youth groups in our national decision-making, giving comments on climate policies and emerging issues. 

Esteemed panelists, 

What are the ways of making sure that young persons most affected by climate change are meaningfully included into climate policies and global environmental processes on global and national levels?

Thank you very much.