Have you ever wondered how the voices of Arab youth reach the most prominent international forums concerned with climate issues?

The Middle East and North Africa region faces escalating environmental challenges, such as desertification, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and the growing impacts of climate change. In light of these challenges, the need has emerged to empower youth and involve them in discussing environmental issues and contributing to shaping solutions and policies that affect the region's present and future.

In this article, we explore the RCOY MENA conference and its role in empowering Arab youth to participate in climate action and amplify their voices to international platforms concerned with environmental issues.

First: What is the RCOY MENA Conference?

The Regional Conference of Youth on Climate Change for the Middle East and North Africa (RCOY MENA) is a regional platform that brings together youth interested in climate and environmental issues from various countries in the region. Its purpose is to exchange experiences, discuss the most prominent environmental challenges, and formulate shared visions and recommendations that reflect the priorities of Arab youth.

The conference serves as a bridge between local initiatives and international platforms, as its outcomes are consolidated into the Regional Youth Statement, which includes key recommendations and proposals. This statement is then submitted as part of youth outputs to the Conference of the Parties (COP) to convey the voice of youth to decision-makers in international climate negotiations.

The conference's role extends beyond holding discussion sessions and workshops; it also focuses on building youth capacities, enhancing their participation in climate action, and encouraging them to develop initiatives and projects that contribute to achieving sustainable development within their communities.

RCOY conferences are held in accordance with YOUNGO standards, the official children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which works to empower youth to participate in dialogue and policy-making on climate issues.

Second: How Does the Conference Contribute to Empowering Arab Youth?

The Middle East and North Africa region is among the world's most affected areas by the impacts of climate change, experiencing a significant rise in temperatures, declining water resources, and an increase in extreme weather events—all of which impact food security, health, the economy, and quality of life.

Key challenges include:

• Rising temperatures and heatwaves.
• Water scarcity and declining rainfall rates.
• Expanding desertification.
• Increasing risks of forest fires in some countries.
• Worsening climate injustice, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.

In facing these challenges, the RCOY MENA conference provides a space that allows youth to express their views, exchange experiences, and participate in formulating shared recommendations that reflect the region's needs.

The conference also strengthens cooperation among youth from different Arab countries and encourages the exchange of solutions and experiences in areas such as water resource management, renewable energy, and adaptation to climate change impacts, contributing to building more integrated and sustainable regional visions.

Third: Examples of Conference Outcomes

The RCOY MENA 2024 conference, hosted by the Jordanian capital Amman, was associated with a number of initiatives and activities that focused on enhancing youth participation in climate action. The most prominent among them were:

1. Preparation of the Youth Policy Document
2. Participants worked on preparing a document containing a set of recommendations reflecting youth priorities in the region, covering several key themes, including:

• Climate justice and human rights.
• Climate change-related migration.
• Education and training in the environmental field.
• The relationship between climate change and instability.

1. These recommendations aim to convey the youth vision to decision-makers through the official channels within international climate conferences.
2. Green Innovations Hackathon
3. The conference featured the Green Innovations Hackathon, which showcased a number of innovative environmental projects.
4. Among the winning projects was the Egyptian project "Qotfa," which presented a solution for preserving crop quality after harvest by developing a coating that helps reduce moisture loss and slow down the ripening process, contributing to reducing food waste while adhering to health and environmental standards.

Conclusion

RCOY MENA represents an important opportunity to enhance the participation of Arab youth in climate action and to transform their ideas and initiatives into recommendations that enrich regional and international dialogue on environmental issues.

As climate challenges facing the region continue to grow, the importance of supporting youth participation in such initiatives becomes increasingly evident—not only as the most affected group by climate change but also as essential partners in innovating solutions and shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for coming generations.

Sources:

• YOUNGO | UNFCCC.
• Conclusion of the activities of the Regional Youth Conference on Climate Change in the Jordanian capital Amman, and Egypt wins first place in the Green Innovations Hackathon.
• Al-Youm Al-Sades Newspaper.

By: Malekah Belhadi – Content Writing Team