COP27 and COY17 (Part 1): What are they? How can you join? Let us begin the series!

COP27 and COY17 are the trending things on international news and, specifically in the world of climate change and environmental health. For example, Egyptian newspaper reports the kick off of COY17, and the Guardian says Egyptian government won’t tolerate the ‘nonsense’ of protesting for climate action. Anyway, in the name of #MiklahLife, I, Vicent Nemeyimana, have been graciously accredited to represent Miklah Life, and Uganda government through the Ministry of Environment.

In the few coming days, I will share few things about these two conferences, including all sessions, and personal encounters, and how exactly I got the chance to be here, and the exact proceedings of my first day on the plane to Egypt, for these conferences. But first things first; what is COY17? What is COP27? Let’s explore this first!

The series is called COP27 and COY17. You don’t want to miss anything? Subscribe here or just send me your email: +256779342057 or just join the WhatsApp GROUP

COP27 and COY17, what are they?

Well, at least for now, you already know that the talk for climate and the fight to execute sustainable businesses isn’t just of yesterday, right? Well!

READ THIS: The history of sustainable development goals; where did it begin from?

COP is an abbreviation for Conference of Parties, and COP27 is simply the 27th COP! COP is simply an annual general convention or meeting of all countries that have committed to working together to improve climate change and reduce global warming. This annual conference is one of the establishments of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). UNFCCC is a framework established by UN during the Earth Summit of 1992 (see my article on history of UN SDGs to pick this). Paris agreement is also another achievement of UNFCCC.

In other words, COP is a yearly meeting of the more than 190 countries, civil society, organizations, and various individual scholars and entrepreneurs to discuss climate change, review progress, and make new commitments or resolutions. In this conference, global leaders, including presidents, ministers, civil societies, NGOs, individuals, and others attend and discuss the way forward for climate. See more about COP27 here on CBS news.

The first COP (or COP1) happened in Germany, the second in Geneva (Switzerland), and the third in Kyoto (Japan). See the attached photos below to track the COPs! And the guys at Down To Earth organization keep track of all UNFCCC COPs, see all of them as they happen here.

More about COP27, the agenda, and all things, read the official website

NB: COP28 will happen beteween 30th November 2023 to 12th Dec. 2023 in United Arab Emirates. See here and here for details as they emerge.

OTHER COPs: Also, note that there are many other COPs other than these ones about climate change (or UNFCCC’s COPs). For example, there are COPs by United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). As of today, 15 of them have happened. UNCCD COP16 will happen in 2024 in Saudi Arabia. Read about more of these COPs, including all the past 15 here.

There are other COPs under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). As of today, 15 of them have happened. The 15th happened in two places, China (online) and Canada (physical). See details regarding all the CBD COPs here.

There are several other COPs, see a list of the famous ones on Wikipedia.

And what is COY17?

COY is simply the conference of youth. Basically, young people were always invited to be part of UNFCCC (COP) negotiations under the umbrella of their observer organizations. However, with time, it became clear that these youth efforts needed to be officially incorporated, and made better. Besides, only a few young people from developed countries would manage funding and all prerequisites to COP conferences. In 2009, an idea was perpetuated by United Nations themselves (UNFCCC), to push for a standalone youth constituency or observer during negotiations, and YOUNGO (Youth Organizations or NGOs) was born! YOUNGO is the official youth constituency at UNFCCC.

THIS TOO: Interested in joining a group young people who are approaching climate change crisis through innovation and entrepreneurship? Well, explore our program, SACRED ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

YOUNGO focuses on empowering youth for climate action and for better negotiations during COP meetings. According to YOUNGO, this is possible through addressing 4 thematic areas: capacity building, policy document (a kind of summarized policy statement by youth to UNFCCC or COP), skills building workshops, and cultural exchange. To get views from the global youth, YOUNGO holds local conferences, regional conferences, and global conferences. COY17 is a global conference of YOUTH in 2022, preparing them for COP27 proceedings of the same year.

Explore some of the COY conferences since 2012 here

SUMMARY: what is COP27 and COY17?

COP is an annual conference of all countries committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and since its inception, 27 of such meetings have happened. In 2009, it was seen important to officially incorporate youth into negotiations through an umbrella that represents all youth organizations, individuals, civil society and more, YOUNGO. YOUNGO empowers youth, drafts what to bring to the table, and enables cultural exchange through local, national, regional, and global youth conferences. Usually, the youth conference happens few days before the major COP conference in the same country.

This year (2022), both COY17 and COP27 happened in Egypt, in a beautiful city called Sharm El- Sheikh, and hundreds of delegates have attended from all corners of the world. According to the official figures, attendance and all deliverables at both COY17 and COP27 were amazingly high.

How does one become a member of YOUNGO or attend the COY conferences or even proceed from COY to COP? We will explore this next time. For now, just know, all you need to have is passionate work and enthusiasm in issues to do with environment and climate action, be aware of dates and when applications are open, apply, get selected (if you are lucky) and attend. But there is more to this than we have covered here. We will keep sharing these details with time. Just join the WhatsApp group and relax.

That is all.

In the next article, I cover my experience of attending COY17, including the sessions I attended. Check it out here or explore the whole COP27 and CO717 series here. Thank you.