The global conference of parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was recently organised in South Africa. SEYI GESINDE, in this piece brings the account of Dayo Israel, a

Nigerian youth ambassador who was part of the delegates to the conference.

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol has come and gone.

This all encompassing event where a global agenda was set on issues surrounding climate change held at the International Conference Centre in the City of South Africa between 28 November and 9 December, 2011.

It had in attendance heads of government, relevant ministers of government, members of the private sector, international development partners, civil society organisations and the youth. One of such youth members in attendance was Dayo Israel, a Nigerian youth ambassador.

Recounting his experience at the programme, Dayo said the opportunity gave him the privilege of attending the conference as a delegate and as a side event facilitator, while also tracking negotiators to monitor the progress of deliberation and negotiations.

“Attending the conference was significant to me, considering the role I played as a key speaker at the UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa in August, 2002 and the UN World Water Forum in Japan, March, 2003, both conferences where I spoke alongside UNICEF Executive Director, Carol Bellamy, former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Nane Annan and many other eminent global personalities on how to protect the earth for children,” Dayo said.

One of the prospects of this last conference is that apart from the fact that it was organised as a follow up to the 16th Conference of Parties held in Cancun, Mexico to build on the Cancun agreement and the Copenhagen accord, the Durban meeting is expected to deliver a breakthrough on the international community’s response to climate change.

Dayo, giving an account of the meeting said: “The Durban session, which was the second largest meeting of its kind, experienced advanced negotiations, in a balanced fashion, the implementation of the convention and the Kyoto Protocol, the Bali Action Plan, and the Cancun Agreements.

“The outcomes included a decision by parties to adopt a universal legal agreement on climate change as soon as possible, and no later than 2015.”

He said with the theme, “Working together, Saving Tomorrow today,” there were high expectations for the conference to usher in a just, equitable and binding international agreement to deal, decisively, with the threat of global climate change, irrespective of the slow progress that were achieved at previous meetings.

Dayo said “alongside the main plenary segments, the conference also featured various continentally focused side event.

“The Africa-focused side events were held at the Africa Pavilion (adjacent to the EU Center and the American Center) which housed exhibitions from various African organisations and government institutions – two of which belonged to a Nigerian CSO – HEDA and a Nigerian Private Sector company led by Mrs Remi Adiukwu-Bakare . The Africa Pavilion also housed a make-shift African forest.

“In terms of engaging young Nigerians back home, I, at a time participated in a video-conferencing chat with young Nigerians back home in a programme organised by the Nigerian Youth Delegates and CISCO.

“During the session which was attended by youth delegates, media and representative of the AU Technical Committee; we shared with the participants streaming in from Nigeria the progress of the negotiations and the outcomes so far from the conference, while also receiving their inputs on some of the issues being discussed at the COP.

“All delegates echoed the cries of the African delegates at the COP for Africa to speak with one voice. We discussed the impact of climate change on the economy, food security, power generation as well as the threat Climate Change is posing to our coastal lines.

“The key outcomes from the video-conference were the call by the entire participants to the government of Nigeria to stop gas flaring and convert the gas into energy for the use of Nigerians.

“Also at the forefront of our discussion is the need for adaptation to be a priority in the mitigation strategy even under the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR).

“Aside engaging youths back at home, there were a lot of activities to engage young delegates at the COP 17 under the flagship of YOUNGO, some of which I also participated in.

“One of the sessions was the high level briefing for youth/interactive session between young delegates at the COP and the president of COP. At this session, we discussed the expectations of people and parties at the COP as well as the progress of the Green Climate Fund. The decisions of today are the legacies we would inherit tomorrow, so working together today, we must save tomorrow,” the COP president reiterated.

So, for Dayo, the opportunity to be part of the global audience and much more, the outcome of the meeting is a reassurance that the future is bright, not only for African youths, but colleagues on the global turf.