A joint 4-day conference with youth on Climate change will be launched on Wednesday 26th October 2022, co-organised by the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) Seychelles in support of the SIDS YOUTH AIMS HUB Seychelles (SYAH-SEZ) and the GEF Small Grants Programme, UNDP. This is the second time that the LCOY organises the youth conference on climate change; Last year in August, the first YOUNGO-registered LCOY was launched by two young Seychellois, Victoria Alis and Jeremy Raguain, with the primary support of the department of climate change and energy, the Ministry of Education and the British High Commission (BHC) informing a group of about 60 young Seychellois aged 13-35 on the various developments, challenges and solutions associated with the climate crisis in our small island developing state.

This year’s event will bring together some 200 youths aged 15-30 years from the 26th to the 29th, at the STC Conference Room, Latanier Road, and including a special Children’s Conference to be hosted jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry responsible for Climate Change and Environment, to be held at Espace Building, both starting from 08.30 to 3.00pm daily.

In joining with the LCOY, the GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Seychelles, shares commonalities and experiences in working with youths to address climate change issues at local, national and international levels while contributing to global solutions. The GEF SGP-UNDP is providing financial support to the conference programme through its Youth and Climate change Innovation Programme portfolio of four projects, as well as the participation of four other initiatives under the SGP Climate change focal area, including SYAH Seychelles and Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), implementing the SGP-UNDP Climate Promise Initiative, promoting the NDCs. It is the SGP Knowledge Management Fairs project being implemented by The Guy Morel Institute (TGMI), that is ensuring funding for the conference and for some interesting take home souvenir items that they can put to good use in their daily lives.

The expected outcomes the 2022 Seychelles-Local Conference of Youth on climate change:
● To promote youth engagement in the Seychelles’ Nationally Determined Contributions amongst 60-100 young people
● To empower 60-100 young people in becoming climate change advocates
● To inspire 60-100 young people to lead or take part in climate action in their community, school, or work environment.
● To create a youth-climate position statement on youth involvement in the implementation of the Seychelles NDC and their general views on building climate adaptation and resilience in Seychelles.

The programme will be based on Youth Empowerment in Climate Action, with four major themes: 1) Youth Engagement in the NDCs 2) Youth Climate Advocacy, Activism & Communication 3) Children of SIDS for climate change, and 4) Climate Action Networking & Inspirations.

For more information please contact:

• Victoria Alis - LCOY Sey: 2802884
• Axelle Bodwell – SYAH-Sey: 2543841
• Lyndy Bastienne – GEF SGP, UNDP: 2621876
• Jeanette Larue – Ministry for CC & Environment: 2723997

LCOYs are spaces that boost youth climate action locally and generate input for international conferences. It represents a national version of the international Conference of Youth (COY), which takes place immediately before the Conference of Parties (COP), the annual UN-Climate Conference. One of the objectives of the first LCOY in 2021 was to facilitate the creation of a Seychelles LCOY organising committee by securing a pledge from key partners to continue such an initiative and structure. A partner statement was signed by the Department of Climate Change, and Energy, and the Ministry of Education. To ensure the LCOY’s continuity in Seychelles, SYAH Seychelles, a youth-led NGO aiming to advance sustainable development projects in Seychelles, will be steering the Seychelles LCOY Committee and leading the 2022 Seychelles LCOY.

The GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) is a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1992. SGP provides funding opportunities and technical support to eligible NGOs and CBOs in 125 developing countries to support the efforts of local people in conserving and restoring the environment. GEF SGP is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNOPS) and executed by United Nations Office for Projects Services (UNOPS)

In partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment.