What is COY21 and the Global Youth Statement? Opportunities for Child and Youth Participation in COP31
Description
How can children and young people participate in the COP31 process?
What is the 21st Global Conference of Children and Youth (COY21)?
What is the Global Youth Statement and how does it feed into the COP31 negotiations?
Join us for an introductory information webinar exploring the role of child and youth voices in the lead-up to COP31. The session will explain how children and young people can engage with local, regional and global child & youth climate processes, contribute to child & youth priorities and connect with opportunities through COY21.
You will hear more about:
The Global Youth Statement (GYS)
Local Conferences of Youth (LCOYs)
Regional Conferences of Youth (RCOYs)
The Global Conference of Youth (GCOY), or COY21.
How these initiatives connect with the COP31 process.
Ways to stay informed, participate and get involved.
Whether you are new to child & youth climate processes or already involved in climate advocacy, this session is an opportunity to learn more, ask questions and discover how you can take part in driving change.
Organised by the Australian co-hosts of COY21
Lineup
Bianca Lau-Goodchild
Bianca Lau-Goodchild is the Partnerships Coordinator and Youth Lead for the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) and an Early Career Researcher in climate change and public health at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Climate and Health under Melbourne University, and the Sydney School of Public Health. She co-founded the Australian Climate Youth Leadership Coalition, this year’s co-host of the Global Conference of Youth (COY21), established CAHA's Youth Council and coordinated Australia's first Youth Climate and Health Summit. As a COP30 youth delegate, she championed intergenerational partnerships and youth leadership in climate and health policy, centring equitable inclusion of Pacific voices.
Sunny Nguyen
Sunny Nguyen leads the Australian Co-Host Coalition's engagement in the 21st Global Conference of Children and Youth on Climate Change (COY21). He is among Australia’s most-prolific youth in climate and health, specialising in Intergenerational Planetary Health. He is Intergenerational Justice Stream Lead of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Climate and Health; Intergenerational Justice Specialist of the Climate and Health Alliance, Research Coordinator at the Disaster Climate & Adversity Unit (Melbourne School of Public Health, University of Melbourne).
Tegan Clark
Tegan Clark is the co-founder of the Oceania Youth Climate Negotiation Network and is passionate about ensuring young people can have their voices heard in international climate negotiations. She is also a PhD candidate at the Australian National University and a researcher at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership. At GIWL, her research primarily focuses on the intersection of gender and climate change.
Eparama Qerewaqa
Eparama is an environmental professional and youth and community development practitioner, with expertise in conservation, sustainable development, program development, project management, and climate financing for small community groups. He has a background in environmental science and island and ocean stewardship, and extensive experience working across youth and community-focused initiatives. Eparama currently serves as Executive Coordinator of the Alliance for Future Generations – Fiji, where he leads work supporting young people and communities to engage in sustainable development and climate action.
Grace Harkins
Grace Harkins is a coordinator of LCOY Australia 2026 and the Chief Youth Representation Officer at UN Youth Australia. Working alongside AYFICE and with support from UNICEF Australia, she helped coordinate consultations and the development of Australia’s National Child and Youth Statement on Climate Change. Grace also oversees the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations Program, supporting national engagement with thousands of young people. Her climate involvement began through conservation and disaster-recovery work on Kangaroo Island following the Black Summer bushfires.
Jasmima Sabatina
Jasmima Sabatina is a Contact Point of the YOUNGO Loss and Damage Working Group, the official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC. She works on youth engagement in climate policy, with a particular focus on Loss and Damage and meaningful youth participation in international climate negotiations. She is also a Research Consultant with the Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), a Public Trust under the Ministry of Water Resources, Government of Bangladesh, where she works on climate change and disaster management-related research and policy processes.
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