Youth Dialogue with Sally Higgins

Dear Ms. Sally Higgins, COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion,

Dear friends, 

It is my pleasure to open this dialogue with Ms. Sally Higgins, the COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion, and with you, young leaders representing the UN Youth Advisory Board, climate activists, and advocates for gender equality and inclusive leadership.

I want to express my appreciation to all of you for attending this dialogue at such a late time in the day. Your presence is proof of your commitment and eagerness to have your voices heard.
Let me also thank the Youth Working Group, and the contributing UN entities for your active roles in preparing this event.

This dialogue comes at an important moment.

Dear friends, 

Climate change affects the lives of everybody, and in particular children, young people, and the most vulnerable. It affects our health, our access to safe water, environment, essential services, to give some examples. 

While your generation contributed the least to the climate crisis, it will be your generation that will bear its consequences the most.

Throughout our dialogues with diverse stakeholders on the road to COP31, one message has come through clearly time and again: young people should not be treated simply as a target group. You should be partners, innovators and ambassadors for climate action and for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Therefore, your voice must be heard.  You can bring innovative ideas to the table, determined to confront leadership at different layers of society with the sense of urgency. 

I hope today’s dialogue with the COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion will create a meaningful opportunity for you to help shape and contribute to the COP31 agenda.

Since it is already late in the day and being convinced that you are all well-prepared to have an in-depth discussion with Sally, I will not take much more of your time.

Sally, welcome again, and the floor is yours.

Thank you.