YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is approaching a transformative chapter. The year 2025 will mark 20 years since youth first entered the UN climate space, and by 2026, YOUNGO will celebrate 15 years as a formally recognized constituency. These milestones are not just anniversaries, they are a testament to resilience, disruption, and progress in a system that has often been slow to welcome young voices.
Though YOUNGO gained observer status in 2009, it wasn’t until 2011 that it was officially recognized as a UNFCCC constituency. Since then, young people have refused to be silent spectators. From the sidelines of early negotiations to leading interventions on global stages, youth advocates have carved out space with persistence and purpose.
“These are not just milestones; they are markers of persistence, pressure, and progress in a system that hasn’t always been eager to listen.”
Today, as global climate ambition weakens, funding for loss and damage remains elusive, and vulnerable communities continue to be marginalized, YOUNGO is once again stepping up. With the dual anniversaries on the horizon, the constituency is launching a bold two-year initiative starting in late 2025, a global effort to gather stories, lessons, and visions from young people across regions and backgrounds.
This isn’t a nostalgic look back. It’s a critical reckoning with the past to sharpen the fight ahead. The process will include storytelling, reflection, and co-creation sessions designed to re-energize the movement and challenge the systems that still hinder transformative change.
A Movement That Refuses to Be Co-Opted
The climate negotiations space is known for absorbing dissent, softening radical ideas, and placing urgency on bureaucratic timelines. But YOUNGO has remained committed to challenging these norms. The question now is how to honor two decades of impact without becoming comfortable with recognition.
“How do we stay disruptive in a process that often absorbs dissent?”
The answer lies with the movement itself, those who were there in the beginning, and the thousands of new voices stepping in today. Together, they will define what the next phase of youth climate leadership looks like.
As we approach this historic moment, we invite you to follow our journey, reflect on our shared legacy, and organize with urgency. The past only matters if it helps shape a bolder, more just future.
Stay tuned for updates on this initiative, and join us in building what comes next.
