The working group of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) conducted an informal consultation on ways of enhancing the implementation of education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information to enhance actions under the Paris Agreement this afternoon.
Because it was a closed meeting, observers like us had to wait outside until the Parties (countries) inside voted to allow observers to come in. The consultation mainly focused on amending the prepared conclusion of the informal consultation on ACE (Actions for Climate Empowerment) and start submission process for the capacity-building workshops mandated in the May 2018 intersessional (SB-48) in Bonn.
YOUNGO, the official youth constituency representing all young people of the world under the UNFCCC, is the first to deliver its statement on ACE. ACE remains one of the priorities of YOUNGO as a constituency and it readdressed the need for both financial and institutional support of youth, and reiterated its position on transparent information and easily accessible national negotiation engagement platform.
Parties from Global South proposed to add youth NGOs into the invitees of the mandated workshop during the intersessional. These Parties stressed the importance of including youth in national delegations and to be allowed into the policy-making process to ensure the voices of the generation of human who will be most affected by climate change are heard.
EU showed strong interest in supporting the idea and recommended the amendments to the facilitator for consideration.
Now, Parties need to submit their opinion on the workshop and before 26 Jan 2018, and views of the roles of ACE in enhancing action.