01-09-2024 | di COOPI

COOPI Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the Summit 'Rural Youth at Peace with Nature' in Colombia

From August 29 to 31, 2024, around 170 rural youth from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered in Nuquí, Chocó Andino, Colombia, to participate in the Pre-Summit 'Rural Youth at Peace with Nature.' COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale, as an invited guest and supporter, attended the event to contribute to strengthening the voices of rural youth on conservation and sustainability issues, as preparation for the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), also known as the People's COP.

The Pre-Summit was attended by 90 young people from different municipalities in Chocó, 60 from other regions of Colombia, and international delegates from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. Additionally, representatives of government institutions and international organizations were present, accompanying the youth in co-creating a manifesto to be presented at COP16 and the UE-CELAC Summit in 2025.

The manifesto, signed in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, outlines a series of challenges and potential solutions across five key themes: sustainable agriculture and food security, human rights, security and peace with nature, conservation and climate change, governance, and education, science, and technology.

The active participation of rural youth is crucial for the protection and restoration of biodiversity, as they bring a unique perspective and innovative proposals for its conservation. This approach has been endorsed by the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which emphasizes the need to invest in rural youth to ensure inclusive and sustainable development, with a direct impact on food security and poverty reduction.

The Governor of Chocó, Nubia Carolina Córdoba, commented to the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) on the importance of hosting this event in the region:

The COP allows us to highlight the close bond and interdependence between ethnic communities and the land, a bond that has fostered sustainable practices for the conservation and use of biodiversity"

COOPI reaffirms its commitment to rural youth, promoting their participation in decision-making spaces on biodiversity and sustainability. The organization will continue to support initiatives that amplify the voices of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities, who have been stewards of biodiversity for generations, ensuring their leadership in the creation of global policies.

 

Photo credits: AICS