RCOY Asia-Pacific 2026: 500 Young Leaders Set Youth Climate Priorities for COP31

Dhaka: More than 500 young leaders from 28 countries gathered in Bangladesh’s capital from 3 to 6 October for the Regional Conference of Youth (RCOY) Asia-Pacific 2026 — the first time the event has been held in Bangladesh — jointly drafting a Regional Youth Statement to carry the region’s priorities into COY21 and COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

Recognised under YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the four-day conference was co-organised by 12 youth-led organisations, with SEECTO Bangladesh as host and BRAC University’s Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER) hosting the sessions. The event’s motto was “From Mountains to Sea: United for Climate Justice”.

A first for Bangladesh

Main sessions took place at BRAC University in Dhaka from 3 to 5 October, followed by a field visit to the CCDB Climate Centre in Gazipur on 6 October, where delegates toured soil-less farming systems, hydroponics, organic composting and small-scale solar installations. More than 100 international delegates joined participants from across the region, including students from Afghanistan, India, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste and Bangladesh — among them members of Indigenous communities.

The conference opened with representatives from Plan International, ActionAid, CARE Bangladesh, the Fossil Fuel Treaty initiative, ICIMOD and other organisations in attendance. State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Sheikh Faridul Islam and the prime minister’s special assistant Dr Saimum Parvez addressed the delegates, urging them to turn discussions into clear recommendations for the global negotiations.

From workshops to a youth statement

The programme featured panel discussions, workshops, COP-style negotiation simulations, cultural activities and more than 50 exhibition and innovation stalls. A hackathon on the draft Regional Youth Statement was the main activity on the opening day, with young moderators leading group discussions and proposing amendments.

On 5 October, the cover page of the Regional Youth Statement was launched, giving delegates a final opportunity to submit their views for inclusion in the draft, which the organising team will finalise and send to COY21. The final day closed with a simulation of COP negotiations, in which participants represented developed countries, forest-rich nations, developing countries and civil society.

What the youth are demanding

Across the sessions, several priorities emerged for the Regional Youth Statement:

Transparent climate finance

Delegates called for streamlined fund distribution with fewer intermediary stages, so money reaches vulnerable communities faster and can be tracked. AKM Sohel, UN Wing chief at Bangladesh’s Economic Relations Division, told the gathering: “If you have a stake in the dollar, you should have the voice.”

Indigenous rights and inclusion

Participants demanded direct participation of young people and affected communities in climate projects and decision-making, with greater recognition of Indigenous practices. Mehenu Marma, representing Indigenous communities, said the gathering gave hope but showed that “Indigenous people still need far more recognition and respect in our society.”

Evidence-based advocacy

Speakers urged youth to ground their demands in data. “Youth advocacy needs to be evidence-based and data-driven,” said Dr Ainun Nishat, professor emeritus and adviser to C3ER. Delegates also called for early climate education in schools, youth-led research and investment in green innovation.

Other themes included a just transition with decent jobs and social protection, energy innovation, water, ice and oceans, and loss and damage.

The road to Antalya

The Regional Youth Statement will feed into the Global Youth Statement through COY21, the 21st Conference of Children and Youth on Climate Change, scheduled for 5–7 November in Antalya, ahead of COP31, which runs from 9–20 November in the same city. Regional youth conferences are held around the world each year, and their outcomes form the official collective position of children and young people at the UN climate conference.

As UNICEF Bangladesh’s Miguel Mateos Muñoz told delegates: with the statement heading to COP31, young people should ask themselves “whose voice is still missing” — so that no child is invisible in the decisions shaping their future.

Read more climate coverage on Watan News.

Key facts

• Event: RCOY Asia-Pacific 2026, Dhaka and Gazipur, Bangladesh, 3–6 October 2026
• Participants: 500+ young leaders from 28 countries, 100+ international delegates
• Organisers: 12 youth-led organisations; host SEECTO Bangladesh; sessions hosted by BRAC University’s C3ER
• Status: Recognised under YOUNGO, the UNFCCC youth constituency
• Outcome: Regional Youth Statement → COY21 (5–7 Nov, Antalya) → COP31 (9–20 Nov, Antalya)