Rabat – The British Embassy in Morocco on September 9 hosted a Watch party in collaboration with the British Council, UN Morocco, and the Italian Embassy to mark the global online launch of the Global Youth Letter.
The event comes in preparation for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), scheduled to be held in Glasgow in November under the presidency of the UK, and the Pre-COP preparatory meeting in Milan starting on September 30.
According to the British embassy, the Watch party was mainly aimed at celebrating young Moroccan activists and the delegates selected to represent Morocco in Glasgow and Milan.
COP26 President Alok Sharma attended the Watch party with a global audience of 2000 to add their names to the Global Youth Letter.
The Global Youth Letter
The Global Youth Letter on Climate Action is a call for urgent action from young people globally, addressing the world leaders who are expected to attend COP26.
With a large-scale research exercise between the British Council, the non-profit Catalyst in communities, and the crowdsourcing approach used to garner the views, experiences, and aspirations of 8000 young people across 23 countries, the letter gathered recommendations to be later shared in COP26.
“The climate emergency is the biggest crisis facing our planet so it’s no surprise that British Council research has found it is the number one priority for young people all over the world,” said Tony Reilly, the British Council’s Morocco Country Director.
The program aims to bring people all over the world to draw attention to climate change with rock-solid plans to face challenges and to take positive action.
“I am proud of the Moroccan young people that are putting their signatures to our Global Youth Letter so far, calling on world leaders for urgent action. I hope that this sends a strong message about the importance of including youth voices in the climate change conversation,” added Reilly.
What young voices bring to the table
As climate threats rise, young people endeavor to take action and find solutions. “Many struggle to engage in meaningful action and have their voices heard,” revealed a British Council Report published on Thursday.
The Global Youth Letter Report surveyed more than 8000 young individuals between 18-35 from 23 countries for an insight about their perspectives on climate change.
Three quarters of the participants are from urban areas, while female participants constituted 55% of the respondents.
The research also included young people with disabilities, as well as those belonging to minority groups and indigenous communities.
“Young people raised concerns that the voices of women and minority groups were not reflected in current climate change policy,” stated the report.
Barriers including limited digital access, hierarchical social cultures, and a lack of access to training and skills development slowdown the process of making changes successfully.
Despite challenges, it is found that there is a “strong and unanimous” will to make a change across the surveyed countries.
The findings emphasized a clear need for policy makers to channel the passion and enthusiasm of young people in a more practical and structured way, suggesting youth involvement is likely to ensure more innovative ideas for tackling climate change with a wider, more effective reach.
“Young people are the leaders and influencers of tomorrow and it’s essential that we provide opportunities for their voices to reach government leaders and involve them in the policy decisions that will impact their futures,” said Kate Ewart-Biggs, British Council Chief Executive.
This research is part of the British Council’s Climate Connection programme, which aims to bring people together on a global scale to address the challenges of climate change.
“Through the British Council’s Climate Connection campaign, we are drawing on our expertise in education, the arts, cultural exchange, and the English language to help young people find innovative solutions to the biggest global emergency we face,” announced Ewart-Biggs.
