As
the world community takes further steps towards the 2012 United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development, popularly known as Rio+20, awareness is
increasing about the role that youth can play in ensuring sustainable
development and eradicating poverty through promotion of green economy and low
carbon economic activities. In 1992, Agenda 21 identified nine major groups
through which all citizens could participate in UN sustainable development
activities. As one of these groups, youth around the globe – however diverse in
socio-economic, political, and environmental situations – are preparing for
this important event.
To
help mainstream this important group in the Rio+20 processes in the sustainable
mountain development context, ICIMOD, through the Asia Pacific Mountain Network
(APMN), has organised a series of activities since early 2011. The ‘South and
Central Asia Regional Virtual Consultation on Youth Perspectives on Rio +20’
attracted 550 participants from 38 countries worldwide. Outcomes of this
consultation were presented and discussed during the World Leadership
Conference 2011 in Singapore and the ‘Asia Pacific Youth Forum on Climate
Actions and Mountain Issues’ organised at ICIMOD headquarters in August 2011.
The Youth Forum, attended by 43 young people from 17 Asia Pacific countries,
adopted the ‘Asia Pacific Youth Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainable
Development’ and the ‘Asia Pacific Youth Position Paper on Rio+20’, which are
now being used by the Major Group on Children and Youth for Rio+20 debate and
have been submitted to Rio+20 Secretariat. These documents were also shared at
the ‘Regional Sharing Workshop on Assessment of Challenges and Opportunities in
the Asia Pacifi c region for Rio +20’ (ICIMOD, 23-25 August 2011), the
‘International Conference on Green Economy and Sustainable Mountain
Development: Opportunities and Challenges in View of Rio+20’ (ICIMOD, 5-7
September 2011) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) TUNZA
Conference 2011 (Indonesia, 26 September to 1 October 2011).
ICIMOD
plans to continue similar youth oriented activities to advocate the mountain
agenda and mainstream youth in the sustainability debate.
-
Tek Jung Mahat, Initiator
and team leader – Youth for Sustainable Mountain Development Initiative
Citation:
Mahat,
T. J. (2011), Road to Rio+20: Mobilising Asia Pacific youth for promoting
sustainable mountain development, in the Earth Observation and Climate Change –
ICIMOD Newsletter Sustainable Mountain Development, No. 60 autumn 2011.
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu,
Nepal. Available online at:
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