Why Nepal Youth Task Force on Rio+20?

Global context

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) a.k.a. ‘Rio+20 offers an unique opportunity to redefine environment and sustainability issues in the changed context and for many years to come. Scheduled from 20-22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the same city that hosted largest ever environmental conference United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), 3-14 June 1992 a.ka. Rio Summit, this conference is expected to review progresses made in environmental sector in last two decades, identify development gaps, note new challenges emerged over two decades and develop way forward for next few decades. Several governments, UN agencies and civil society groups are contributing in Rio+20 process, making it the most ambitious environmental event in the history. Often ignored or avoided, YOUTH as one of nine Major Groups are preparing to ensure sustainability of the planet by making meaningful contributions for the success of this event.

Nepalese Youth on the Road to Rio+20

Nepalese youth have been contributing in this process as part of several global, regional, national and sub-national campaigns aimed at Rio+20. Whether it is virtual consultation or Youth Forum or national/international conferences, Nepalese youth have always made global community feel their presence through substantive contributions. To improve presence and systematize contributions a group of like minded people formed Nepal Youth Task Force on Rio+20 in September 2011, following to the huge success of Asia Pacific Youth Forum (Asia Pacific Youth Meeting on Rio+20) organised by a regional intergovernmental organisation the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal in August 2011 and in the light of preparation for the 2011 Tunza International Children and Youth Conference in Bandung, Indonesia. Evidently these events were most important ones as the Asia Pacific Youth Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainable, the Asia Pacific Youth Position paper Towards Rio+20 were developed at the Asia Pacific Youth Forum and the 2011 Tunza Conference concluded with Bandung Declaration, calling on governments at the Rio+20 meeting to “respond and not ignore the demands of children and youth.”

Building on these major events and some others preceding them, and aiming to strengthen Nepal’s position at Rio+20, with special attention given to youth and mountain development issues, Nepalese youth call for broader global partnership. If you wish to be part of it, pls write to us.