In
a
conference
room
filled
with
senior
government
officials,
policy
makers,
private
sector
players,
ambassadors,
and
members
of
parliament,
the
most
powerful
voices
didn’t
belong
to
those
with
decades
of
policy
experience.
They
belonged
to
young
people.
As
Zimbabwe
gathered
its
key
stakeholders
to
forge
a
national
position
for
the
upcoming
global
climate
summit
(COP30),
it
was
the
nation’s
youth
who
spoke
with
the
most
clarity
and
urgency.
“At
COP30,
leaders
need
to
make
sure
their
plan
for
gender
action
focuses
on
girls
and
specifically
addresses
how
climate
change
affects
girls
and
young
women,”
remarked
a
17-year-old
student
from
Harare,
her
voice
clear
and
unwavering.
Her
words
cut
through
the
formal
proceedings,
reminding
everyone
that
climate
change
isn’t
just
about
carbon
emissions;
it’s
about
people,
and
especially,
its
disproportionate
impact
on
girls.
She
wasn’t
alone.
Another
19-year-old
student
stood
up,
challenging
the
leaders
in
the
room
not
just
to
act,
but
to
make
their
actions
accessible.
“Leaders
must
focus
on
making
climate
information
easy
to
understand
for
young
people
and
ensure
that
we
learn
about
Climate
Change
in
School,”
he
insisted.
“We
need
real
participation
in
all
climate
change
issues,
not
just
pretending
to
include
us.”
This
was
the
spirit
of
Zimbabwe’s
Pre-COP30
workshop,
a
crucial
meeting
to
decide
the
country’s
strategy
for
the
global
negotiations
in
Brazil.
Supported
by
UNICEF
and
the
Korean
International
Cooperation
Agency
(KOICA),
the
event
dedicated
a
special
session
for
young
people
to
voice
their
demands,
and
they
did
not
hold
back.
Their
insights
were
sharp
and
specific.
Denzel
Hwata,
19,
spoke
about
the
need
for
the
Global
Goal
on
Adaptation
(GGA)
to
include
youth-specific
indicators.
He
called
for
priorities
like
“sexual
reproductive
health
resilience,
mental
health,
and
education
continuity”
to
be
officially
recognised
as
crucial
adaptation
outcomes—a
reflection
of
the
real-world
anxieties
young
people
face
in
a
changing
climate.
The
youth
also
tackled
complex
issues
like
climate
finance,
calling
for
funds
that
directly
address
the
impacts
on
children
and
simplify
the
application
process.
They
highlighted
the
devastating,
non-economic
losses
from
climate
disasters,
such
as
trauma,
mental
health
challenges,
and
the
loss
of
cultural
heritage.
The
powerful
testimony
was
not
lost
on
the
officials
present.
Ambassador
Chifamba,
the
Permanent
Secretary
in
the
Ministry
of
Environment,
Climate
and
Wildlife,
applauded
the
meeting’s
inclusivity.
Honourable
Matema,
Chair
of
the
Parliamentary
Portfolio
Committee
on
Environment
and
Climate,
echoed
the
sentiment,
emphasising
that
the
“seriousness
of
the
climate
agenda
impacts
everyone.”
The
most
significant
moment
came
when,
following
a
presentation
by
UNICEF,
the
Government
of
Zimbabwe
officially
signed
the
Declaration
on
Children
and
Climate
Change.
This
pledge,
endorsed
by
over
68
countries,
is
a
firm
commitment
to
put
children
and
youth
at
the
heart
of
all
climate
policies.
For
the
young
advocates
in
the
room,
this
was
a
monumental
victory.
Their
voices
hadn’t
just
been
heard;
they
had
spurred
tangible
action.
As
Zimbabwe
prepares
to
stand
on
the
world
stage
at
COP30,
it
will
carry
not
just
a
policy
paper,
but
a
mandate
from
its
youngest
citizens—a
powerful
prescription
for
a
safer,
more
resilient,
and
more
just
future
for
every
child.
Source:
COP30:
Zimbabwe’s
Youth
Shape
the
Nation’s
Climate
Future
|
UNICEF
Zimbabwe