On June 16, 2020, the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), in partnership with the POP Movement, organized an online international conference, where leaders, experts and leading members of youth movements around the world came together to review and evaluate catalytic transformative strategies required to address challenging global issues and promote the development of global leadership needed for the 21st century.

During the conference, the POP Movement's workshop on "Youth Leadership for SDGs and Climate Action in the context of COVID" encouraged participants to analyze, discuss, and establish concrete strategies for youth climate leaders to work together as change-makers to achieve a powerful leadership worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through plenary and breakout sessions, the workshop highlighted the importance of transdisciplinary action against the climate crisis, as well as the essential role of youth-led action in the efforts to mitigate and adapt to the consequences of a global emergency.

Key Takeaways:

1. Institutionalizing environmental education, specifically experiential learning, youth mentorship and training programs on climate action efforts starting from school.
2. Youth engaging in grassroots actions, taking the initiative to collaborate with other youth and local communities to share knowledge and projects, will cause a ripple effect engaging the rest of the society, as youth become motivating role-models.
3. Opportunities to be created for inclusive action and strong connections between different stakeholders, specifically bringing in knowledge of the indigenous communities.

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