Youth climate rights charter unveiled ahead of COP31

More than 100 young climate activists have unveiled a 20-point Youth Climate Rights Charter ahead of COP31 in Türkiye, calling for the demands and lived experiences of climate-vulnerable communities to be reflected in Bangladesh’s national climate policies.

The Youth Climate Position Paper 2026, prepared through consultations with young people from all 64 districts and communities in climate-vulnerable areas, was also handed over to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Tuesday.

The charter was unveiled at the closing ceremony of the four-day Bangladesh Youth COP 2026, jointly organised by ActionAid Bangladesh and Brighters in Dhaka.

The position paper focuses on seven key areas: climate mitigation, locally led adaptation, loss and damage and climate finance, technology transfer, climate education and awareness, gender equality and social inclusion, and youth leadership in policymaking.

Held under the theme “Paris to Antalya: A Decade of Climate Commitments and Realities,” the event brought together young people, climate experts, diplomats and representatives of vulnerable communities.

The position paper was developed through focus group discussions, storytelling sessions, participatory mapping and community scorecards. It also incorporates the experiences of affected communities from seven climate-vulnerable areas and findings from three years of research across six vulnerable clusters.

Dr Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said the government alone could not address the climate crisis and that young people could play a major role in protecting the environment, preventing biodiversity loss and raising public awareness.

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Kazi Ehsanul Haque, Director General of the Climate, Environment and Transboundary Water Resources Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said climate decisions taken today would affect young people’s future and called for greater youth participation in policymaking.

Australian High Commissioner Susan Ryle said effective climate action required cooperation among governments, local communities, young people and affected populations, adding that COP31 should focus on implementation and ensuring vulnerable people’s voices are heard.

Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said the demands of marginalised and climate-vulnerable communities must be taken to the global stage and reflected in climate policies and negotiations.

She emphasised the importance of ensuring that communities directly experiencing climate impacts have a meaningful voice in decisions concerning their future.

Meanwhile, 19 young fellows took part in a mock COP negotiation on loss and damage, climate finance, just transition and Bangladesh’s strategic position in the COP31 negotiations.

The four-day programme began on September 19 and concluded on Tuesday with a cultural presentation titled “Youth Aspirations.”