The UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY) is an event under the banner of YOUNGO – The Official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The conference takes place right before the annual UN Climate Change Conference, also known as Conference of the Parties (COP), in the same host country as the COP. COY serves as a space for capacity building and policy training, in order to prepare young people for their participation at COP.

 In 2021, COY will be in its 16th year and is dubbed as the largest and longest running youth event to date; gathering thousands of young changemakers from more than 140 countries. It is likewise hailed as the most significant youth gathering for it’s capacity to directly forward the official youth position in the UN Climate Negotiations.

 One of the major outputs of COY16 is the policy document crafted by youth voices globally, which will be forwarded during the UN Climate Negotiations.

Policy Document

The most substantial output for COY16 is coming up with the position paper, or policy document, that will represent the voice of the youth in the UN Climate Negotiations (COP26).

Capacity Building

Delegates from 140+ countries will undergo a series of plenary and breakout sessions, with topics on how climate change affects different sectors and industries.

Skill-building workshops

COY16 will provide workshops for delegates such as pitching, fundraising, event management, youth mobilisation and public speaking.

Cultural Exchange

Social events and networking activities will be designed to be interactive and immersive, to explore the different cultures of the delegates.