Embassy of Sweden holds follow-up Youth Dialogue

Islamabad: The Embassy of Sweden in Pakistan Wednesday hosted a follow up event with the youth dialogue participants of Stockholm+50, with partners UNDP, WWF Pakistan, and Stockholm+50 Youth Task Force.

The lead up event on the right to a healthy environment hosted on May 17th 2022 engaged youth to create policy demands that were presented at Stockholm+50 – a crucial international environmental meeting – on June 2nd & 3rd 2022 by Pakistan’s Youth Task Force representative.

Convened by the UN General Assembly, Stockholm+50 gathered over 4000 people from nearly 150 countries. The purpose of the meeting was to come up with bold and urgent action on climate and environment to secure a better future on a healthy planet. Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister of Climate Change, attended the event in Stockholm.

The Stockholm+50 Youth Task Force, which brought together more than 700 representatives from youth organisations from around the world, including Pakistan, put forward a Policy Paper in which young people listed numerous demands calling on world leaders to take drastic action to halt and reverse environmental damage with specific points related to biodiversity conservation. Around 300 young people participated, along with several thousand joining online. The policy paper was mentioned by the Meeting President in the official summary, encouraging world leaders to ensure intergenerational equity.

H.E. Henrik Persson, Ambassador of Sweden to Pakistan, welcomed the participants and said “I believe young people are the are leaders of TODAY. That is why the Swedish Embassy will continue to engage with youth. To us, it is an essential, urgent and a demographic as well as democratic imperative. We also recognize that for countries such as Pakistan, the key is not reducing emissions but ensuring climate-friendly development pathways and building climate resilience.”

Youth participants who attended Stockholm+50 shared their experiences from the conference and reported back on the presentation of the policy demands. This was followed by an open discussion among the 60 youth attendees, moderated by WWF-Pakistan, on how to move from policy pledges to practical implementation.

The youth then presented their formulations at a High Level Plenary Closing Session to representatives from the Ministry of Climate Change, climate activists, diplomats and the press. Speakers at the closing included Knut Ostby, Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General from WWF Pakistan. Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman was the chief guest of the event. Activists from Fridays for Future and Climate Action Pakistan also attended the event.

Closing the session, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF-Pakistan said “At WWF-Pakistan, we recognize that young people are the key driving force of positive change. Therefore, we actively engage with youth and give them the knowledge, tools and resources required to contribute to potential solutions and drive public discourse on climate action and sustainable development. Our youth carry immense potential, not only to drive climate action, but to ensure sustainable development.”

In the lead-up to COP27 in Sharm el Sheikh and the wake of effects of climate change here in Pakistan, the youth need to continue to hold world leaders accountable to their demands and translate them into real commitments.