-Says Liberia Country Manager @ Youth Summit on Climate Change
By William Selmah,wselmah@gmail.com
A National Youth Summit on the Environment and Climate Change has ended in Monrovia, with the World Bank committing itself to supporting forums aimed at sustaining the environment.
World Bank Country Manager, Mr. Khwima Nthara told a gathering attending the summit in Monrovia recently, that it “provides a perfect forum for our young people to discuss and come out with a Liberian Youth Position on Climate and the Environment that can be used as a starting point not only for the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25), but for national programs and implementation of projects.”
COP25 is meant to assess global progress in dealing with climate change and to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
It also serves as the formal meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to which all 197 Parties of the Convention send representatives.
“The World Bank decided to support this initiative because of the importance we attach to youth and development and considering the involvement of young people in discussions that border around the sustainability of our environment and climate change,” Mr. Nthara said.
The youthful population of Liberia, he noted, is key to the country’s development endeavors.
The World Bank Country manager used the occasion to urge other national youth counterparts from across Liberia to join their counterparts in the coming year in order to expand the dialogue, something he said could attract external support for the environment and climate change.
The Youth Summit on the Environment and Social Change was organized by the Youth Climate Change Initiative-Liberia in collaboration with the West Africa Youth Network and Liberia National Student Union with support from the World Bank.
The National Program Coordinator of the West Africa Youth Network, Arthur R.M. Becker, speaking at the program said the effects of climate change are being felt globally, making specific reference to recent floods in Monrovia and its environs, “the Italian Council, the catastrophic mudslide in neighboring Sierra Leone in 2017, floods in Mozambique and hurricanes in the USA”, among several other natural disasters.
The contributions of young people to climate change conversations, he said, are vital and not too small to make a difference.
“If you feel that little things don’t matter try sleeping in a room with mosquitoes, then you will surely know that little things matter”, Becker said.
He also recalled how young Greta Thunberg of Sweden who began her Climate Strike Action before the Swedish Parliament and has gained steam.
Mr. Becker thanked the Liberian government for its steadfastness in supporting youth development, but said more needed to be done in ensuring youth visibility in policy development and decision making as well as the enactment into law of the National Youth Policy, participation of more youth in both national and international discussions that hinge on environment and climate change, energy, forest management, carbon trade and waste management.
He also underscored the need for environmental studies to be included in curricula at primary, secondary and tertiary levels
“We are prepared to work closely with the Government of Liberia through the EPA, World Bank, the African Development Bank, The Swedish Government, the UN, US Government, FFI, CI, USAID and other International institutions that ensure that capacity building programs are developed that harness the potentials of young people to issues that border on the Environment and Climate Change, Agriculture, Energy efficiency, Forest Management, Ecotourism and Youth Employment,” Becker assured.
- Brief Summary of the Work the West African Youth Network has done in Liberia and West Africa( Leadership Training Seminars, West African Youth Summit, Mano River Union Youth Parliament through the organization of the MRU Youth Leadership Training Seminar, 2nd Session of the MRU Youth Parliament, WAYN Status with ECOSSOC AU 2018-2022, Member Clean Up the World, Seeking ECOSSOC UN Status