The DPI/NGO Conference on Climate Change was held on September 5-7, at the UN Headquarters. About 2,000 representatives of NGOs from over 80 countries attended roundtables, panels and workshops, reviewing the scientific evidence of climate change and its consequences on indigenous peoples, water security and land use.
A few specific workshops focused on the effect of climate change on various youth issues. The following workshops focused on children's issues: "Caring After the Storm: The Impact of Climate Change on Children in Areas Where Rising Waters Create Despair and Destruction", "Youth, Education and Climate Change", and "Small Steps - Big Effect: What Families and Children Can Do to Help Reverse Global Warming". The presence of youth representatives were felt at these smaller workshops. However, youth were also present at the larger, closing session of the Conference. Moderated by the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, this session featured conference summaries presented by 4 youth participants in the UN International School. Reading aloud from prepared summaries, these 4 participants were the few young people present. Though there were various references to the importance of youth participation in climate change, and the effect of current practices on the future, very few members of the audience represented the youth movement. The conference website, however, featured a section on youth, which included a Youth Education Outreach Initiative that incorporates and encourages advocacy and participation in the global discussion on climate change.
Closing with a beautiful poem and visual presentation by Mr. Rolland Smith, after a lengthy address by Mr. Rajendra K. Pachauri (the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the session pointed to the many successes of the 3-day conference, including a formal declaration prepared for the representatives. This declaration stated the goals and objectives of the conference, and suggested several initiatives for the representatives to take. Coming before the UN Climate Change Conference this December in Bali, this conference provided a brief look into the many new findings and positions of the IPCC. However, the role of youth needs to be much more visible and accesible in order to truly create the partnership and the essence of sustainable development that so many representatives stressed.