25 - 27 March 2022
The world is facing climate destruction. Climate change is a reality, and we can no longer ignore it. Our social, moral, and personal responsibility is to act now for the planet and people. Young people are inheritors of the earth and have a unique opportunity to set the course straight—the raison d'etre for holding the Fifth Edition of the International Youth Conference (#IYC5).
The Fifth Edition of the International Youth Conference (#IYC5) will be online from 25 – 27 March to educate, empower, and mobilize youth for climate action. In addition, #IYC5 will focus on igniting youth to develop global solutions to combat climate change and the corresponding consequences. The conference is a youth-led and self-organized event, with live streaming from cities worldwide, including Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, New York, Karachi, Dubai, and Dhaka. The conference will address and share youth-focused solutions towards green living and the green economy, climate education, and mobilizing young people for climate action. Discussions will also examine the linkages between gender and climate, digital innovation, politics and climate change, and the role of citizens in preventing climate disasters.
The International Youth Conference is brought to you by Generation Next, a youth-led NGO, with the support of the Department of Global Communications, UN-Habitat, and a consortium of civil society organizations, all committed to youth participation and leadership around the world.
For the background of the Conference and the Civil Society Unit's role, please click here.
Please visit www.internationalyouthconference.org and tune in on Facebook to watch the sessions live.
Opening Plenary
Events by the Department of Global Communications
Conversation with the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth
Ms. Jayathma Wickramanaake
25 March 2022
9:30 - 10:15 am ET
Food Security
25 March 2022
Inclusion of marginalized youth in communities
26 March 2022
11 - 11:55 am ET
Youth-Led Session on Climate Action: Africa Region
26 March 2022
12 - 12:55 pm ET
Closing Plenary
Background note
Since 2019, the Civil Society Unit, Department of Global Communications (DGC), has collaborated with Generation Next Network, a youth-led New York City-based NGO, in organizing four editions of the International Youth Conference (IYC). Designed by young people for young people, IYC aims to educate youth on global issues and challenges. In addition, IYC hopes to inspire youth to collectively voice their perspectives and act to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The IYC is a direct result of a call to action for youth attending the 68th UN Civil Society Conference (UNCSC), held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, from 26 to 28 August 2019. The Salt Lake City Conference featured a strong youth participation: of the 5000 participants attending the UNCSC, about a third of that number were youth.
Following the 2019 UNCSC, some youth convened to launch the IYC with the support of the Civil Society Unit, Department of Global Communications, UN-Habitat, and IAAI, an NGO formally associated with the department. The Civil Society Unit’s support to IYC is rooted in our commitment to engage with stakeholders, especially young people, to achieve better the UN’s global efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Over the years, the IYC has been held in various formats, initially with virtual sessions and later with hybrid and in-person sessions. Interactive discussions, social media moments, project showcases, mentoring, and regional sessions have been the cornerstones of IYC in addition to strong social media engagement to deepen the reach and engagement of youth globally.
Previous and Current IYC Editions include:
- IYC First Edition (2019, Virtual)
- IYC 2 (September 2020, Online)
- IYC 3 (January/February 2021, Online)
- IYC 4: Lake George, New York, USA (June 2021, Hybrid)
- IYC 5: Cambridge Edition (March 2022)