Side Event

The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) - building a global coalition among young people to halt the loss of Biodiversity!

Organizer
Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN)

Date and Time
16 October 2012 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 11)

This Side Event will introduce participants to the newly established Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) and will also provide a space to present and discuss the positions of youth organizations on the main issues of COP11 as well as the state of youth participation in the CBD, compared with youth participation in other UN processes. The idea to create an international network for youth working on Biodiversity has long been felt at numerous youth conferences and CBD negotiations. With the explicit support of the CBD Executive Secretary a small group of youth delegates formed an interim steering committee at the end of COP10 and prepared the establishment of the network. The network was officially launched at an international Kick-Off conference in Berlin, Germany, in late August 2012. GYBN's mission is to raise global awareness among young people for the intrinsic value of biodiversity. The network aims to strengthen and support youth efforts to promote and protect biodiversity. For this purpose GYBN provides a unique global platform where youth organizations and individuals can get in touch with each other and are able to join forces for the protection of biological diversity on our planet. GYBN also aims to become the international coordination platform for youth participation in the Convention on Biological Diversity and is committed to bring the opinions and positions of youth into the negotiations.