Youth-Led Action at Dushanbe Water Conference 2024

Dushanbe, 10th June 2024- UNICEF, in cooperation with the Committee on Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Energy and Water Resources and Committee of Environmental Protection, are hosting the Youth and Children's Water and Climate Forum as part of the Dushanbe International Water Conference, Water Action Decade "Water for Sustainable Development, 2018-2028", which is currently taking place in Dushanbe from 10 to 13 June. The Youth and Children's Water and Climate Forum is the third of its kind to be organised by UNICEF in Tajikistan, with the last one taking place in 2022.

The Youth & Children's Water and Climate Forum brings together youth representatives and decision-makers from around the world, including Tajikistan, to discuss and prioritize how governments and young people can work together in an inclusive way to accelerate the achievement of the water-related goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year, for the first time in Tajikistan’s history, Tajik youth will be represented by the newly established Youth for Water and Climate Network.

The Youth for Water and Climate Network of Tajikistan aims to build the capacity of the young people to address climate challenges, advocate for youth-led water and climate actions and implement and monitor the Tajik Youth for Water and Climate Plan.

"On behalf of the Commitee on Youth Affairs and Sports, the Government of Tajikistan and all development partners, we thank the young people for their great ideas and active participation in the water and climate agenda. We believe that with their enthusiasm, efforts and innovative ideas, we will work together to combat the negative impacts of climate change in our country and beyond". -Mr Gulahmadzoda Zulfikor Ahmad, Chairman of the Youth and Sports Committee of Tajikistan.

During the Forum, youth delegates from different countries and high-level guests from the Ministry of Education and Science of Tajikistan, Committee on Environmental Protection of Tajikistan, UNICEF, Kingdom of the Netherlands, European Union, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, USAID, JICA, UNIFY and other key experts, the participants will have an opportunity to:

• Review the progress of the Global Youth Development Plan and Agenda (YDPA) and identify key barriers, challenges, opportunities, and solutions related to youth engagement in water and climate initiatives.
• Evaluate the progress of selected countries (from a youth perspective) in meeting the voluntary commitments made at the UN Water Conference in 2023.
• Launch the first 'Youth Water and Climate Plan' developed by Tajikistan's Youth for Water and Climate Network.
• Create a space for global innovators to share their journeys and learnings to be explored for potential piloting and scaling up in different countries, while advocating with governments to create an enabling environment for innovation.

"As part of the Youth for Water and Climate Network of Tajikistan, we, the youth, feel empowered, not hopeless. We've been given a platform to act, to drive change and to be part of the decision-making process for climate action in our countries and beyond. We feel that our voices matter. -concluded Anis Tohirov, President of the Tajik Youth for Water and Climate Network.

"Listening to the voices of young people and positioning them at the centre of water and climate practices is critical to achieving sustainability worldwide, including in Tajikistan. I firmly believe that with adequate support and funding, young people become key drivers of positive change in their communities, countries and globally. They are essential partners in our development efforts and in achieving SDG6." - Mr Arthur van Diesen, UNICEF Representative in Tajikistan.