“Okeil”: Arab governments must unite to launch the Youth Climate Action Network in the region
Maryam Salah: We recommend Arab media organizations to intensify climate awareness campaigns, especially in conflict areas
In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in the interest in climate change-related issues, especially among young people in the Arab world, to confront this crisis that continues to aggravate at an alarming rate. Young people could find opportunities and join the initiatives launched by civil society and international organizations in order to achieve sustainable development that ensures the protection of the planet for themselves and for future generations. This was explained in Maat’s fifth issue of the SDG 13 Observatory in the Arab Region... “Arab Youth: Outstanding Efforts to Combat Climate Change" in order to track good practices as well as the challenges faced by Arab countries in achieving Goal 13 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
May’s issue focused on the good practices carried out by the governments of Arab countries, especially with regard to encouraging young people and supporting their efforts in facing climate change-related challenges. In the UAE, the Arab Youth Center announced the launch of its first-of-its-kind training program, “The Training Forum of the Arab Youth Council on Climate Change.” The launch of the Youth Climate Action Network aimed at engaging Arab youth from various disciplines in activities and programs to confront climate change and achieve sustainability, in conjunction with the Arab region’s preparation for the global climate summits “COP27” and “COP28” this year and the next in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.
The fifth issue also monitored the actions and measures taken by the Arab countries to address the effects of climate change. The Sultanate of Oman was the country focus of this issue. The Sultanate has been able to reduce consumption rates of ozone-depleting substances to zero or to levels lower than those targeted by the Montreal Protocol. The Sultanate also seeks to avoid any potential effects of climate change on natural, economic and social systems by preparing to manage the risks of climate change through adopting measures and developing national strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
With regard to youth, the Omani government has launched a national competition for designing eco-houses, entitled “EcoHouse Design Competition (EHDC).” The competition aims to revolutionize education and develop it to help mitigate climate change, since creativity in higher education is one of the basic elements of learning. The competition looks for partnership and cooperation between academic, industrial and governmental institutions, which highly encourages supporting the youth’s abilities and creative ideas that are environmentally friendly.
For his part, Ayman Okeil, the international human rights expert and president of Maat, highlighted the importance of the role played by youth in climate change-related issues, stressing that the governments of the Arab states need to direct their efforts towards launching national programs and initiatives aimed at involving youth in implementing national strategies to reduce climate change, and to encourage youth projects and organizations that work to adapt to climate changes. Okeil stressed the need to unite in order to launch the Youth Climate Action Network in the Arab region.
Besides, he recommended Arab civil society organizations to encourage the establishment of new forums and the organization of workshops that target young people and allow them to participate and suggest creative solutions to the climate change crisis so that they can be submitted to the decision-making authorities. Okeil also called on international donor organizations to direct their financial aid and technical support to Arab youth, to encourage innovation and tech-based solutions that could help mitigate environmental problems, in addition to their activation and promotion in the society.
For her part, Maryam Salah, a researcher in the Sustainable Development Unit at Maat, said that given the positive impact of awareness media campaigns aimed at combating climate change by adapting human behavior, we recommend all concerned media institutions and civil society organizations to work jointly to intensify awareness campaigns and conduct workshops and training programs, especially in Arab conflict regions.
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