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On the sidelines of PreCOP26: the Youth4Climate Event opened in Milan, Italy.

Indeed, 400 young delegates from around the world including two young people from each of the 197 member countries of the UNFCCC (United Nations Convention on Climate Change) including the DRC took part in this event on the sidelines of the Pre COP26 which took place held from September 28 to 30, 2021 in Milan, Italy.

The youth of the Democratic Republic of Congo was well represented at this world conference on climate by Mrs. Véronique Bulaya (Coordinator of the NGO PIFEVA) for her commitment to climate and environmental justice, the mobilization of young people and indigenous women in the advocacy and the implementation of multiple climate change mitigation and adaptation projects in South Kivu as well as Mr. Sylvain Obedi from Goma in North Kivu.

After three days of workshops and debates, young people from Youth4Climate met the ministers participating in Pre COP26 and presented them with proposals for international diplomacy (to avoid climatic and ecological disasters) during a forum held this Thursday September 30, 2021 at the Milan Conference Center, Mico.

In her interventions, Mrs. Véronique Bulaya (Coordinator of the NGO PIFEVA) explained the important role that the DRC must play at COP26 and in this global climate fight because the DRC has a significant forest massif in the world. From this point of view, other countries not having the forestry potential of the DRC must contribute to the Congolese Government's programs to protect this forest and contribute to sustainable development in favor of indigenous and local populations, she continued before to add that COP26 is an opportunity to make the Congolese Forests better known to the world as one of the solutions to the problems of climate change. COP26 represents a last chance opportunity to save the planet. World leaders will need to make concrete commitments to reduce global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius and finance inclusive and gender-neutral adaptation programs.

Madame Véronique Bulaya and her fellow young delegates also called on world leaders and decision-makers to take concrete actions to restore the climate and that this requires justice and inclusion for future generations.

Madame Véronique Bulaya says she is proud to have validly represented and amplified the voice of young Congolese and particularly that of the new generation of young women and girls leaders involved in the climate fight in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Some reactions from World Leaders at the Youth4Climate Event in Milan, Italy:

1) For Italian Prime Minister Mario Draggi, more commitments to the climate are needed: We are aware that we must do more because the mobilization of young people has been powerful. Rest assured that we are listening to you, said the Head of the Italian Government to the youth delegates gathered at the Milan conference center.

2) The British Boris Johnson notes a need for everyone to become aware: Young people around the world are already facing the consequences of the reckless actions of the older generation, points out the British Prime Minister following his Italian counterpart.

PIFEVA TEAM