What is the Conference of Parties (COP)

COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). All parties of the convention are represented at COP and they usually meet annually except when an agreement is reached not to meet. The Loss and Damage Youth Coalition is usually part of the process through the active participation of its coordinators and members.

Why is the Conference of Parties Important

The outcomes of the COPs are global in scale and, as a result, affect everyone, including the youth. Therefore, participating at the COPs allows the Coalition to bring youths’ perspectives to the global negotiation table and ensures the demands of youths are considered within allowable limits.

How the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition Participate

The Coalition organizes and participates in numerous activities before, during, and post-COP. However, all of these are aimed at:

1) Creating External Pressure

The Coalition creates external pressure through different activities carried out outside the negotiation room; these include street protests, art builds, digital campaign, and other forms of demonstrations outside the negotiation room.

2) Creating Internal Pressure

The Coalition creates internal pressure by earnestly and persistently presenting youth perspectives in negotiation rooms during negotiations at COPs.