Context

The "Youth on Action Agenda" high-level event took place during COP30 in Belém and marked an important step in strengthening youth participation within the COP30 Action Agenda. The session brought together youth-led networks, Action Agenda leads, and senior representatives of the COP30 Presidency to take stock of existing youth engagement, identify concrete needs, and foster direct dialogue between youth constituencies and decision-makers. 

Building on previous COP30 PYCC-led initiatives, including the Conversation with Youth in Party Delegations, the event positioned youth not only as stakeholders but as active contributors to the implementation of the Action Agenda. The discussion emphasized the importance of structured, sustained, and meaningful participation of youth across thematic areas and delivery mechanisms. 

Outcomes

The event highlighted how youth-led initiatives are already contributing to COP30 priorities, notably through the Youth Mutirão process, which mobilizes young people across Brazil’s diverse biomes and thematic areas. Speakers and participants underscored the value of locally grounded youth action linked to global processes, and the need for clearer entry points for youth engagement within Action Agenda activation groups. 

Participants jointly identified key barriers to effective youth participation, including limited access to information, fragmented engagement channels, and capacity constraints, alongside opportunities to address these challenges through clearer coordination mechanisms, feedback loops, and recognition of youth-led expertise. 

The session strengthened intergenerational dialogue between youth organizations and Action Agenda leadership, reinforcing a shared commitment to ensuring that youth perspectives inform both the design and implementation of climate solutions under the COP30 Action Agenda, and setting the basis for continued collaboration beyond COP30. 

Agenda