Cop27
WYF Platform: A Space for Young People to Speak Green
By Heba Essam
Within the framework of COP27, the World Youth Forum (WYF) ran a platform for addressing various topics related to climate change. For its lively and inspiring setting, the open-air ‘Amphitheatre’ in the Green Zone was selected to host the WYF Platform during the period from 8 to 17 November 2022.
The platform aimed to raise awareness on the WYF different activities as well as its global message as a UN–recognized youth platform for peace, prosperity, harmony and development. It also offered a space for meaningful interaction between young people and decision makers from all over the world.
In line with the main message of COP27, the WYF Platform welcomed participating youth in the conference to speak ‘green’ through more than 30 sessions, including panel discussions, workshops and talks. Participants were encouraged to share their voices, experiences and success stories of various sustainable initiatives.
Topics such as climate immigration, green jobs, green buildings, role of media in climate change, gender-based violence, mental health and others were included in the WYF Platform agenda.
The platform came in collaboration with several international and regional organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Save the Children Organization, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the World Food Program (WFP), in addition to national organizations, on top of which is the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS).