ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On September 5, the UNRCCA Preventive Diplomacy Academy, in cooperation with the British Embassy in Turkmenistan, organized a training session for the participants and graduates from the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan on the topic of “Climate Change”.

The session was facilitated by Mr John Hamilton, Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy in Turkmenistan, and Ms Sophie Daud, Director General of the Future Leaders Network and Co-founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy, UK.

The purpose of the training session was to raise awareness among youth about climate change’s impact on people’s stability and security, as well as about the possible participation of young people in processes to overcome this challenge.

During the session, participants gained an understanding of the linkages between climate change and conflicts and became familiar with international regulatory mechanisms based on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and others. Particular attention was paid to the Conference of the Parties, at which countries of the world negotiate and share their achievements in adaptation and mitigation approaches to climate change and learned in more detail about the annual Youth Conference, which is a negotiating platform for young activists in climate change.

Ms. Sophie Daud spoke about the work of the Youth Negotiators Academy and initiated a discussion on how young people could influence climate diplomacy.

The training session also provided an opportunity for PDA participants to share their vision of how Central Asian youth can collaborate locally, regionally and globally to contribute to climate change efforts and participate in climate change negotiations.