The Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC) emphasizes the importance of youth engagement in addressing climate change, recognizing that young people are particularly vulnerable to its severe consequences. The LDYC advocates for inclusive decision-making processes that consider the needs and priorities of children, youth, and women, particularly those in marginalized and frontline communities, for the UNFCCC and another international process to better reflect on these. (COP 26, COP 27, COP 28 demands, SNLD submission, TC submission).

During COP25 in Madrid, Decision 2CMA.2 Par 43 established the  Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD)  as part of the WIM to provide technical assistance to developing countries particularly vulnerable to climate change to implement approaches to address loss and damage. At COP 26, parties agreed on the function of the SNLD beyond being an online platform. Its functions are detailed in  Decision 19/CMA.3, and its institutional arrangement, consisting of an advisory board, a secretariat, and a network of OBNEs, was agreed upon at COP27.

At COP 28, the UNDRR/UNOPS was chosen to host the Santiago Network’s secretariat following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the COP /CMA and the host with USD40million as pledge.  Both parties agreed to commence work immediately, particularly after the board members’ election and the host country’s selection. The first meeting of the Board will take place from 18th to 20th March in Geneva, Switzerland. Additionally, the Advisory board members have been announced, with a total of 15 members, including representation from youth and children’s voices. The Decision-CMA outlines the Advisory Board’s role in guiding and overseeing the Santiago Network secretariat on practically implementing the network’s functions. 

We hope Kenya’s host country decision is adopted based on a global analysis considering operational efficiency, cost, and other relevant aspects. Kenya scored the highest at 4.1 out of 5, followed by Bonn, Geneva, Brussels, and Ethiopia.

We hope that the adoption of the work program and budget for SNLD will ensure its smooth operationalization, particularly at this critical juncture where updates on Loss and Damage Fund criteria and access modalities, NCQG, and NDCS are necessary. 

We hope that providing technical assistance to developing countries to articulate their needs within these processes would be immensely beneficial. Reliable, Predictable and quantifiable funding for SNLD is crucial to implementing its functions, as it is part of the ‘loss and damage funding arrangement’ but is not explicitly financed to ‘address loss and damage.’

As global youth, we will continue to build momentum and follow the discussions on ‘loss and damage,’ including ‘SNLD,’ ‘Loss and Damage Fund,’ ‘Loss and Damage Funding Arrangement,’ and their related fora at both national and international levels in 2024.