About COY

What is COY

The UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY) is an annual event under the banner of YOUNGO — The Official Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

COY, the largest and longest running youth event to date, takes place right before and on the sidelines of the annual UN Climate Change Conference, also known as Conference of the Parties (COP). Where COY serves as a space for capacity building and policy training, in order to prepare young people for their participation at COP, empower them, and formally bring their voices to the UNFCCC processes to shape the intergovernmental climate change policies.

How LCOY Started

From the very beginning, youth have been actively engaged at the Conferences of Parties (COP) which are organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

In 2005, they formally gathered in Montreal ahead of COP11 to make their voices heard, thus creating the first Conference of Youth (COY). In 2009 during COP15, the UNFCCC secretariat and the member states at the Copenhagen officially recognized youth as an observer constituency. Following this status, in 2011 the formal network of Children and Youth in UNFCCC (YOUNGO) was born.

The Conference of Youth (COY) is an official event of YOUNGO. COY continues to involve children and youths from all corners of society and all areas of the world, with YOUNGO growing steadily over the years. It is supported by the youth for the youth and in 2015, the idea of LCOY started spreading around the world. Young people recognized the value of COY, and it inspired to organize Local COY (LCOY).

In 2017, a formal process has been set up within YOUNGO to endorse and empower youths as well as youth organizations to organize Regional and Local COYs.

Scopes of Different COYs

Global COY

The main international youth climate event, held annually before COP. Brings together youth from all over the world for capacity building, networking, and policy work.

Regional COY

Regional events that gather youth from specific continents or regions to discuss local climate issues and prepare for the Global COY and COP.

Local COYs

National or local events that empower youth at the grassroots level, enabling them to participate in the global climate movement and contribute to policy.