Youth participation is an essential part of Stockholm+50

Youth participation and inclusion was a priority issue for Sweden in the Stockholm + 50 process. Youth were involved in the planning and implementation of the UN International Meeting, and Sweden strives to include youth perspectives in the outcome of the meeting.

On May 31 and June 1, the Stockholm Youth Eco-Association took place, a meeting that brings together about 200 young people from all over the world to assemble youth attitudes about Stockholm+50. The Stockholm+50 Youth Task Force, consisting of 50 young people aged between 16 and The 31-year-old, who led the work with Global Youth Engagement prior to the meeting, is the organizer. During the year they conducted consultations and knowledge exchange with thousands of young people to gather their views on the Stockholm + 50 topic. The Environmental Youth Association completed this work before the Youth Working Group members moved on to the official UN meeting on 2-3 June.

Climate and Environment Minister Annika Strandhal attended the first day of the meeting and listened to the demands and positions of young people. Strandhull highlighted the lofty goals of youth and the importance of our pursuit of them.

The second day of the meeting included several seminars and group discussions led by the youth. The meeting was also attended by US Climate Envoy John Kerry, Kenyan Environment Minister Kyriako Topeka and Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program.

From a global to a northern perspective

Later that afternoon, 12 Nordic youth representatives met with Nordic Ministers of Environment and Climate and the Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers to present and discuss youth positions from a Nordic perspective. The meeting was arranged with the National Council of Swedish Youth Organizations (LSU), which through global consultations, but also in the Nordic countries produced guiding questions and recommendations for the meeting with a particular focus on Nordic responsibility.

Climate and Environment Minister Annika Strandhull partnered with Minister of State Anders Grünval. During the beginning of the meeting, Strandhäll stressed the importance of the commitment of young people and that they influenced both the process and the content of Stockholm+50.

Young representatives from the Nordic countries presented their recommendations, which were then discussed in small groups with the ministers. Some of the topics discussed were alternative measures of welfare, climate justice, environmental extermination and the phase-out of fossil fuels.

The meeting is part of the North Project that runs until the end of the year. Discussions from today’s meeting within the project will be followed up, among others, by a follow-up meeting between youth and Nordic Environment and Climate Ministers.