Remarks by the UN Resident Coordinator at the AP Youth Environment Forum 2023

Honorable Mr. Naseer Ahamed, Minister of Environment;

Ms. Marlene Nilsson Deputy Regional Director UNEP, Asia and the Pacific Office;

Distinguished guests;

UN Sri Lanka colleagues – with special thanks to the 9 UN agencies supporting this forum;

and most importantly, you, the children and youth representatives joining us from across Sri Lanka and the Asia-Pacific region,

Good morning and welcome to the UN House in Colombo.

I can’t think of a better way to kick-start the 5th Asia-Pacific Forum than to listen to those who have most at stake in our sustainable future.

The work of this forum is critically important, not only for Sri Lanka, but the whole world, as the conclusions that emerge over the next few days will feed into COP28 and the next session of the UN Environment Assembly.

As the Forum unfolds, I look forward meeting you and learning about your ideas and ambitions.

Dear young leaders,

I want to be frank and not repeat what we already know. We are all familiar with the challenges. We all know the urgency. And we all know that despite of it, we are edging closer to climate chaos day by day.

If nothing changes, we are heading towards a catastrophic 2.8 degree average temperature rise.

The UN Secretary-General said as much at the Climate Ambition Summit in New York last week – as he has done many times before.

And we do not need to look far to see climate chaos in action.

As the impact of climate change grows, we did see glimmers of hope last week in New York.

A growing number of actors take their Paris Agreement pledges more seriously. Climate justice is emerging as a key theme, opening up the potential of more funding going from the main polluters to the developing world.

Yet ultimately, we are still far from the change we need to see.

What we lack is action to make the necessary compromises that prioritize the future over the short-term gains of the present.

As young activists and leaders, you have proven that you are agents of positive change.

We see you and your peers on the frontlines advocating for climate justice, pushing for the political will that we need for accelerating the commitments of the Paris Agreement.

While the world is transforming in an unprecedented way, the way change happens is not new.

Change happens when people, notably young people, organize, vote and fight to hold their leaders accountable, become leaders themselves. Power is never given away willingly.

Change happens where coalitions and partnerships form. You are the most connected generation ever, transforming this connectedness into collective action is the challenge for your generation.

Change happens when new ideas replace old ones, when those we often call crazy push forward new ideas despite all odds.

We, as members of the older generation that have not acted decisively, must do more to make sure that your efforts are supported at all levels.

And as the United Nations, we need to be at the forefront in giving you the tools you need to bring about meaningful change.

Let me mention a few examples from Sri Lanka:

- The HackaDev Green Innovation Challenge, has proven that when young people are given the opportunity new perspectives and transformative solutions to complex problems emerge

- SPARK – a competition where young entrepreneurs across the country pitch ideas and entrepreneurial solutions to pressing challenges.

- Volunteerism, which is alive and well in Sri Lanka, is a powerful medium, through climate-focused initiatives ranging from awareness-raising to advocacy for national policy reforms.

- Young people have also been involved in the process of developing Sri Lanka’s National Report for Stockholm+50 and other guiding documents such as the Children’s Declaration on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction.

- And beyond these, we remain committed in many other ways: supporting young people by investing in green skills, scaling up interventions for disaster risk reduction, improving climate literacy, supporting youth-led SMEs, and advocating for policies that recognize the unique challenges faced by youth including young climate migrants.

We know that this is only a beginning, and not nearly enough. We must do more – which means also listening much more systematically to you.

That’s why representatives of several UN Agencies, which have come together to support this event, are here today.

I urge you to make the most of this Forum, not only among yourselves but by reminding the decision-makers who have come to Colombo of their responsibilities to the planet and the future generations.

On behalf of the United Nations, you have my pledge that we will do our best to listen and amplify your voices.

Climate chaos is not inevitable, and you, the young people of Asia and the Pacific, are an indispensable part of the solution.

Your voices and visions are essential for shaping a sustainable world for you, your children, and future generations.

Thank you.