Empowering the next generation: Democracy for climate justice

Activists at COP 26 in Glasgow. Photo credit: Movilizatorio

This year, International Democracy Day will focus on the role of youth in advancing democracy and promoting civic space.
An engaged, well-educated electorate is at the heart of strong democratic societies. Creating an environment in which young people understand feel their voice counts is crucial.

Young people must navigate a world in which democracies are under threat from factors ranging from the proliferation of online mis- and disinformation, to rising populism, and the destabilizing effects of the climate crisis. It is important everyone is able to meaningfully participate in the decisions that affect their lives now, and in years to come.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the 2023 International Day of Democracy underlines the essential role of children and young people in safeguarding democracy, today and in the future.

2023 event

This year, International Democracy Day is being marked by a live event at the SDG Pavilion, an art installation and convening space situated on the North Lawn at UN Headquarters in New York.

The event, organized by the UN Democracy Fund within the UN Office for Partnerships, brings together civil society representatives, UN officials, and climate activists, to highlights the role of youth in advancing civic space and recognizes their leadership in moving climate action forward.

You can watch the event live and on demand [HERE]

Climate justice and democracy

The effects of the climate crisis on the physical environment are today impossible to ignore, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that it is a challenge to democracy: growing food insecurity, migration, water scarcity, and extreme weather events are driving conflict and weighing on the minds of voters.

Young people around the world have shown that they are extremely concerned about the climate crisis; in recent years hundreds of thousands of school age children, frustrated by the pace of negotiations to cut fossil fuel emissions, have taken part in large-scale marches, strikes, and protests.

Calls for climate justice have also been a feature of these demonstrations: young people realize that they are likely to suffer the consequences of an increasingly unstable climate, caused by the activities of earlier generations. 
The World Bank has estimated that, by the time many of the teenage climate activists of today are in their late 20s, climate change could force an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty, and, according to the International Food Policy Research institute, lead to an extra 20 per cent of malnourished children by 2050.

The United Nations recognizes the importance of empowering young people to take leadership roles on issues of international importance; the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth convenes the Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals, a group of 17 changemakers whose leadership is catalyzing the  achievement of the SDGs, and the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change ensures that the Secretary-General hears directly from young climate activists, who can share strategies for advancing climate action.

The UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) finances projects that empower civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes, including youth.

Recent partnerships from UNDEF on the intersection of democratic governance and climate justice include strengthening civil society voice on environmental rights in Iraq with the civil society organization Al-Masalla, and youth movements for inclusion in local development policy in Colombia with Movilizatorio.

The SDG Pavilion is a unique convening space and art installation created by artist Es Devlin, in collaboration with the UN Office for Partnerships and Project Everyone, a not-for-profit communications agency co-founded by SDG Advocate the screenwriter Richard Curtis.