NAM Youth Organization is an international youth platform uniting the youths of Non-Aligned Movement Member States. The NAM Youth Organisation was formed as a result of the efforts made by Azerbaijan during its Presidency of NAM. On October 5, 2021, the NAM Youth Network, as NAMYO was initially known, was launched. NAMYO is committed to promoting the vision of NAM and operates in 49 member states of the Non-Aligned Movement.
From June 20 to June 24, 2024, the Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organisation (NAMYO) hosted the NAM Youth Climate Action Forum (NYCAF) in the Azerbaijani cities of Baku and Shamakhi. The NYCAF witnessed the exchange of ideas by youths in NAM Member States on climate action and developing solutions to address climate change. NYCAF was held in the same year in which the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29) will convene in November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The opening ceremony of NYCAF was held on June 20 and witnessed the participation of high-level guests, particularly, from COP29 Presidency Team, government entities and international organizations. The event began with the opening speech of Leyla Hasanova, Youth Climate Champion for COP29 and the Chairperson of NAM Youth Organization. Hasanova stated in her speech that the fight against climate change aims to create a clean and sustainable future, which means young people can’t stay away from this process as it affects them directly. Addressing the event participants, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister and COP29 chief negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev said that preparations for COP29 are progressing on schedule. “Our utmost difficulty in preparing for COP29 is that we have rather little time. But if we divide the preparation phase into pre-session and post-session periods, we see that everything is going as planned. Our plans and roadmap for the next stages are ready, and we are on track”.
The event was also addressed by Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President-Designate and the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, who highlighted the dynamic role played by the youth in combating climate change. Babayev said that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees, climate finance, and national emission reduction plans are the main goals of the upcoming COP29. “The work of the COP29 presidency comes with the strengthening of world ambitions with clear plans to keep global warming at 1.5 degrees and build a world resilient to climate change. On the other hand, it implies the allocation of financial resources to realize these plans. We, as the COP29 chair country, for example, will help countries develop nationally determined contributions. These are national plans that outline a country’s plans to reduce emissions. There will also be a focus on national adaptation plans that show how to ensure a country’s resilience to the impacts of climate change, and this is among the main issues at COP29”.
Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Farid Gaibov in his address during the event said that NAM is an important platform that unites youth in the coming fight against climate change. “We are actively working with young people for a sustainable future. The NAM platform plays an important role in this issue,” he noted. Speaking of the importance of NAMYO as the biggest international organization uniting the youth of 121 NAM Member States, Yalchin Rafiyev, COP29 Lead Negotiator and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasized the significance of active youth involvement in building environmental resilience and sustainability. Rafiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan is hosting many events in preparation for the COP29 conference. Gaibov noted that the country organized climate talks with experts from various nations, highlighting Azerbaijan’s commitment to promoting international cooperation in tackling climate issues.
NYCAF held panel discussions and organised sessions that discussed the role of youth in combating climate change. The NYCAF examined the diverse impacts of climate change and suggested practical solutions to lessen these effects. The NYCAF emphasized the crucial role of youth in promoting sustainable practices and enhancing climate resilience.
