Asian Youth Coalition Launches at COP31 to Carry Youth Priorities into Climate Talks

A new Asian Youth Coalition has been launched at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, bringing together 12 youth-led organisations from 10 Asian countries to carry young people’s climate priorities into national policy discussions and negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The coalition was announced at a press conference on 13 November 2026, a day before COP31’s dedicated day for children, youth, education and skills. Youth representatives from Central, East and South Asia outlined their regional priorities and discussed how young people could play a greater role in global climate talks.

Launch announced at COP31 press conference

The coalition was announced at a press conference titled “From Mountains to Sea: Bringing Asia-Pacific Youth Priorities to the UNFCCC”, held on 13 November at COP31 in Antalya. According to the organisers, the coalition builds on the work of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Youth, held in Bangladesh, and is being developed with support from 12 youth organisations in 10 Asian countries, including Sikto Bangladesh, a host organisation for the regional conference.

Young people across Asia are already working on climate awareness, local adaptation and environmental protection. The organisers said many groups work independently and face challenges securing funding, building organisational capacity, connecting with peers across borders and taking part in policymaking. The coalition aims to close those gaps by working together across the region.

What the coalition will do

The coalition aims to help grassroots groups develop their organisational, legal and financial capacity. It also plans to support joint campaigns and cross-border projects, help members find funding, and bring youth priorities into national climate policy discussions and negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Under the proposed structure, a secretariat would manage partnerships, resources and reporting. An elected steering committee made up of representatives from seven to nine member organisations would oversee the coalition’s activities and coordinate five working groups focused on specific issues and subregions.

The coalition plans to admit new members through an open application process each year. Members would continue working in their own countries while collaborating on regional projects, joint policy positions and training. The founding members and co-organisers of the regional youth conference will help finalise the governance charter, membership rules and founding leadership.

Built on the regional youth conference in Bangladesh

The coalition grows out of the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Youth 2026, which concluded on 6 October 2026 at the CCDB Climate Centre in Gazipur, Bangladesh. The four-day conference was co-organised by 12 youth-led organisations from across the Asia-Pacific region and was recognised under YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Its motto was “From Mountains to Sea: United for Climate Justice”. Delegates jointly drafted a Regional Youth Statement to be taken forward to COY21 and COP31 in Antalya, and the conference combined discussion of climate finance, youth leadership, employment, energy, environmental protection and the participation of women and marginalised communities with simulation-based preparation for COP31.

Who the coalition puts first

The organisers said the coalition would prioritise participation by youth groups from least developed countries and small island developing states, as well as Indigenous youth organisations, women-led groups and organisations led by or working with people with disabilities. They said the aim was to sustain cooperation throughout the year, not only during the two weeks of the conference.

That focus reflects the wider picture at COP31, where young people are pressing for a meaningful role in decisions that will shape their future. The Children and Youth Pavilion, the only fully youth-led space at the UN climate conference, is marking its fifth consecutive year, represented by 10 young spokespeople aged between 14 and 31. The 2026 Global Youth Statement was also launched at COP31 on 12 November, setting out young people’s recommendations for accelerating climate action and integrating them into national climate plans.

Launch lands on COP31 youth day

The launch comes as 14 November is dedicated at COP31 to children, youth, education and skills, with sessions on Action for Climate Empowerment and on turning climate science into climate action through education and public awareness. COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November in Antalya, and the youth coalition’s founders say their new alliance will keep Asian youth voices organised and visible for the rest of the conference and beyond it.

For young people in Asia, the message is that their priorities — from climate finance and clean energy to adaptation and a just transition — now have a shared regional platform. As COP31 moves into its second week of negotiations, the coalition will be watching whether those priorities find their way into the decisions taken in Antalya.

Read more: African youth facing water insecurity take their case to COP31

Key facts

• Launched: 13 November 2026, at a press conference at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye
• Members: 12 youth-led organisations from 10 Asian countries
• Structure: a secretariat, an elected steering committee of seven to nine member organisations, and five working groups
• Roots: the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Youth 2026, held in Bangladesh and concluded on 6 October 2026
• Goal: to carry youth priorities into national climate policy and negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

Conclusion

The Asian Youth Coalition gives young climate leaders across Asia a single regional voice at COP31. Whether that voice changes the outcome in Antalya will be judged in the conference’s second week — but the coalition is built to last beyond it, with yearly membership, a steering committee and working groups that keep its members cooperating all year round.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Asian Youth Coalition?

It is a new regional alliance of 12 youth-led organisations from 10 Asian countries, launched at COP31 in Antalya to help youth-led groups across Asia work together on climate action and bring their priorities into national and international policy discussions.

When and where was it launched?

The coalition was announced at a press conference titled “From Mountains to Sea: Bringing Asia-Pacific Youth Priorities to the UNFCCC” on 13 November 2026, during COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. The launch was reported on 14 November 2026.

What will the coalition do?

It aims to help grassroots groups develop organisational, legal and financial capacity, support joint campaigns and cross-border projects, help members find funding, and bring youth priorities into national climate policy discussions and negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Who can join the coalition?

The coalition plans to admit new members through an open application process each year. It will prioritise participation by youth groups from least developed countries and small island developing states, as well as Indigenous youth organisations, women-led groups and organisations led by or working with people with disabilities.

What is the Regional Youth Statement?

It is a statement of youth priorities drafted jointly by delegates at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference of Youth 2026, held in Bangladesh and concluded on 6 October 2026, to be taken forward to COY21 and COP31 in Antalya. The Asian Youth Coalition builds on that conference and its statement.