On the 29 April 2018, youth delegates from 70 countries gathered, at the UN Campus in Bonn Germany, to participate in the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Youth Forum. The objective of the Forum was to effectively engage young people in negotiations on ACE.
The ACE Youth Forum was an initiative of the Presidency of the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) and YOUNGO (the official Youth Constituency to UN Climate Change), in partnership with and support of the Government of Canada, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Climate Change.
A vital component of the Forum was providing the AYF Scholarships, that enabled about 40 youth from the countries of the Global South , to participate and engage at the Forum. A global selection process evaluated over 3,330 applications from 125 countries to select the scholarship recipients.
Break-out groups at the Forum brainstormed on ways to increase the effectiveness of ACE activities. Suggestions included linking youth ACE activities internationally, supporting ACE national focal points, pushing for more funding for ACE activities and holding ACE festivals to create interest and awareness about the need for climate action.
Outcomes of the ACE Youth Forum