Photos: iStock and Moa Karlberg/norden.org

Purpose of Nordic youth engagement

The overall purpose of the joint initiative undertaken by the parliaments and governments in the Nordic region was to ensure the influence of Nordic youth on the development of a new global agreement on biodiversity. This included building bridges between youth movements and decision-makers and placing these issues high on the political agenda.

By mobilising young people throughout the region, they were given the opportunity to help set the level of ambition and contribute concrete content to the agreement, while setting ambitions for the future roles of youth in the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Specifically, the initiatives aimed at:

Developing a Nordic youth position paper on the Global Biodiversity Framework, and thereby giving Nordic youth a say in the future protection and management of biodiversity and ecosystems.
Supporting the influence of Nordic youth on the development and negotiations of the Global Deal for Nature and People/the Biodiversity Framework.
Giving Nordic youth a role in advocacy and possibility to influence national, regional, and global decision-making processes.
Increasing awareness and understanding of biodiversity and international cooperation on biodiversity conservation policy.
Developing the negotiation skills of young people.

The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers support young people in their efforts to engage in the negotiation process on different levels:

National level, through dialogue with government officials, ministers, and members of parliament on the development of the government’s mandate.
Regional level, through presentation and discussions of the Nordic Youth Position Paper at joint meetings with Nordic ministers and Nordic MPs, and by informing the EU working group on biodiversity and environment (WPIEI).
Global level, through ad hoc meetings with ministers and lead negotiators of the Nordic region during interim and COP negotiations, and by joining forces with the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN).

Activities such as youth workshops and conferences, online debates and side events during climate COPs and CBD interim meetings in the Global Biodiversity Framework have included the participation of youth, ministers, and MPs to facilitate intergenerational dialogue and the exchange of views on the Global Biodiversity Framework.