Empowering youth: How ICLEI engaged youth voices in 2024

Discover how ICLEI is championing youth engagement in the global sustainability agenda. From COP29 and the AfriFOODLinks Consortium to the ICLEI World Congress and key conferences across Europe, this blog highlights impactful initiatives, intergenerational dialogues, and youth-driven actions shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Engagement at COP29

“You have every right to be angry. I’m angry too,” posted UN Secretary-General António Guterres on social media on 15 November, following his meeting with youth representatives and environmental activists at COP29. Organized by the Youth Advisory Group and YOUNGO, the official youth constituency to the UNFCCC, the event highlighted the challenges youth face and included a candid exchange of advice on addressing climate change. “I am angry because we are on the verge of the climate abyss, and I don’t see enough urgency or political will to address the emergency,” Guterres remarked.

In Baku, we took part in two key youth-focused events. On 19 November, at the session titled “Youth-Driven Sustainable Cities: Advancing Just Transformations of Urban Systems”—organized by YES Europe, the European Youth Energy Network, Politecnico di Torino, and Paryavaran Mitra—we shared insights on how young people can drive change in cities and collaborate with local governments. During this session, we also presented ICLEI’s youth checklist.

On 20 November, the session “Empowering Youth Through Research”—organized by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna—showcased innovative approaches to youth engagement. We contributed perspectives on the critical role of young people in shaping sustainable urban futures and fostering effective partnerships with their local authorities.

Bridging generations for food system transformation: Highlights from the AfriFOODLinks Consortium Meeting

Held from 25 to 20 November in Cape Town, South Africa, the Intergenerational Dialogue session at the AfriFOODLinks Consortium Meeting -which involves over 20 project cities in Africa and Europe- provided a platform for youth ambassadors and city officials to exchange perspectives and strategies for integrating youth voices into urban governance. The AfriFOODLinks Youth Ambassadors play a unique role in the project, amplifying marginalized voices in urban food systems and driving local action through storytelling and advocacy. By spotlighting the experiences of food vendors, market traders, youth and women-led social enterprises, they inspire innovative approaches to creating sustainable, inclusive change. Their city-level activations—such as workshops, food tastings, and public discussions—mobilized diverse stakeholders to tackle food system challenges collaboratively.

During the session, youth ambassadors were recognized as essential partners, offering “inside information from the city,” as Sara Dionisio, Lisbon City representative from Portugal, highlighted, along with innovative, tech-savvy solutions to challenges like food systems and entrepreneurship.

The need to sustain youth engagement emerged as a key theme, with Filbert Minja, youth ambassador from Arusha, Tanzania, advocating for mechanisms to empower ambassadors beyond the program. 

“We might be classified as youth, but we are the leaders of tomorrow—and today,” said Kaylah Cordom, Windhoek, Namibia, youth ambassador, urging cities to amplify youth contributions through initiatives like food desks and youth-driven policies.

Participants underscored the importance of aligning visions between city officials and ambassadors to foster focused collaboration, with the youth ambassadors making the case for more data-driven decision-making in food governance. Food systems were recognized as a shared priority, with Tsiory Rakotondrainitomaho (aka Tiakaly), youth ambassador from Antananarivo, Madagascar, aptly stating, “If you don’t have food, you can’t think.” The session concluded with a shared commitment to intergenerational collaboration.

By pairing ambassadors and city officials, the session highlighted both shared challenges and fresh opportunities for urban transformation. Through their ongoing storytelling and advocacy, the youth ambassadors are contributing to the social innovation needed to build more inclusive, sustainable urban food systems.

ICLEI World Congress 2024: Showcasing the power of youth

Held from 18 to 21 June in São Paulo, Brazil, the Congress featured diverse events and opportunities to engage youth. Noteworthy was the launch of the Youth Manifesto during the opening plenary, aiming to promote a fair transition, prioritize human rights protection, and advocate for the political independence of young people. It includes recommendations for local governments and society as a whole and was developed through discussions and meetings of the Youth Advisory Board for the ICLEI World Congress 2024, covering topics such as climate action, climate justice, human rights, gender and race perspectives, traditional knowledge, territorialities, youth, nature, and health.

The Youth Manifesto was shared with local governments attending the World Congress and formally presented to the National Youth Council of Brazil by a representative of the Youth Advisory Board. It is available in Portuguese, English and Spanish.

At the Congress closing plenary on 21 June, Júlia Bonitese, Brazilian youth activist and ambassador for climate justice, highlighted the importance of active young people’s participation in local and global climate action.

Shaping our Future Conference 

Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht, Netherlands, and member of the UN Secretary-General Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments was tasked with drafting recommendations on youth engagement for the UN Summit of the Future, held in New York in September 2024. To gather input, the city of Utrecht organized a one-day conference on 12 June, bringing together local politicians and youth representatives. The event fostered meaningful dialogue on strengthening the role of local and regional governments within the United Nations system and on how youth and future generations can contribute to shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. ICLEI actively participated by moderating a discussion group on adaptation and climate action and involving the ICLEI Member City of Cascais, Portugal.

Mayor Sharon Dijksma presented the Utrecht conference outcomes to UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the UN Summit of the Future, contributing to the UN Pact for the Future. The Pact emphasizes the vital role of local governments in achieving the SDGs and highlights the importance of involving youth and future generations, as outlined in the Declaration on Future Generations.