Children and Youth Pavilion Returns at COP31 with Ten Young Spokespersons

As COP31 opened in Antalya on Monday, young people secured a visible place inside the negotiations themselves. The Children and Youth Pavilion has returned to the United Nations climate conference as the only fully youth-led space in the venue, with ten young spokespersons aged 14 to 31 ready to carry youth voices into the talks.

The pavilion, first established at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh and a fixture at every COP since, gives children and young people a dedicated place to connect, share ideas and speak directly to negotiators, experts and the media. At COP31 it stands at the heart of a fortnight in which young people have already handed world leaders a detailed set of demands.

FAKTA

• What: The Children and Youth Pavilion, the only fully youth-led space at the UN Climate Conference.
• Where: COP31, Antalya Expo Center, Antalya, Türkiye, 9–20 November 2026.
• Spokespersons: Ten young people aged 14 to 31, from Indigenous climate advocacy, environmental research, policy and community organising.
• First set up: COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh; a fixture at COP28 and COP29.
• Children and Youth Day: 14 November.

Ten spokespersons, aged 14 to 31

The pavilion’s ten spokespersons were chosen through an application process that closed on 11 October. Applicants needed confirmed accreditation and funding to attend COP31, and the role is unpaid. The pavilion does not provide a Blue Zone badge, and every spokesperson completed a mandatory training session before the conference.

Their work spans climate justice, biodiversity, clean energy, the circular economy, resilient cities, climate finance and youth participation. On the pavilion’s thematic days they speak to the media and the public and carry young people’s perspectives into the formal negotiations.

From 100,000 voices to one statement

The pavilion opens days after young people formally presented their demands to the COP31 Presidency. More than 100,000 children and young people worldwide contributed to the 2026 Global Youth Statement, which was shaped by young people from 90 countries and presented to COP31 President Murat Kurum, President of Negotiations Chris Bowen and Presidency Youth Climate Champion Sally Higgins at the close of COY21 in Antalya.

YOUNGO, the UNFCCC’s official constituency for children and young people aged up to 35, coordinates the process. It begins in communities through local youth conferences, builds through regional conferences, and ends in a single statement that delegates, governments and the public can read and adopt.

The statement is an advocacy document: its recommendations do not automatically become COP decisions. Its influence depends on whether governments carry those recommendations into the negotiations and follow through on them.

What the pavilion will host

On 10 November at 10:00, the pavilion hosts a youth mental-health session, “Reflect to connect”, led by the Global Youth Ambassadors. The five ambassadors, together with their constituencies in 12 countries, have written a Youth Declaration with eight demands, calling on governments to make young people partners in climate decisions, fund youth-led solutions and invest in green skills and jobs for girls and young women.

On 14 November, Children and Youth Day, the ambassadors lead sessions at the Philippines Pavilion, “From Our Stories to Climate Action”, and at the Zero Waste Pavilion, “Youth as systems designers”. On 17 November, Plan International brings its flagship event, “The Tide Remembers: Pacific Stories of Loss, Damage and Gender Justice”, to the Moana Pavilion, with girls and young women from some of the most climate-vulnerable regions.

Wellbeing is built into the programme. Georgia Monaghan of ECOMIND leads wellbeing programming across COY21 and the pavilion, including a Wellbeing Corner and the Future Minds initiative, calling for wellbeing and safeguarding to be embedded in youth participation at every climate gathering.

Among the youngest voices in Antalya is nine-year-old Euri Gui, attending her fourth COP. She represents children’s voices and speaks for children and the planet’s future.

Why it matters

Around 1.8 billion people worldwide are aged 10 to 24. The decisions taken in Antalya will shape their lives for the longest, yet most of them are too young to vote, let alone to negotiate an international agreement. At COP28, the pavilion’s 19 spokespersons were quoted 232 times in the media, and more than 276 articles mentioned the pavilion or its spokespeople. The pavilion does not give young people a vote, but it gives them a hearing, and in Antalya that hearing is now under way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Children and Youth Pavilion?

It is a fully youth-led space at the UN Climate Conference, first set up at COP27. It gives children and young people a dedicated place to connect, share ideas and bring their perspectives into the negotiations, and it is shaped by a global Steering Committee of youth-led organisations.

Who are the ten spokespersons?

Young people aged 14 to 31 from diverse backgrounds, including Indigenous climate advocacy, environmental research, policy and community organising. They speak to the media and the public on the pavilion’s thematic days and help communicate key climate issues throughout COP31.

What is the Global Youth Statement?

A set of policy recommendations built over a year from local and regional youth conferences. The 2026 edition drew on more than 100,000 children and young people from 90 countries and was presented to the COP31 Presidency, the President of Negotiations and the Presidency Youth Climate Champion at the close of COY21.

Does the Youth Statement become COP policy?

No. It is an advocacy document, and its recommendations do not automatically become COP decisions. Its influence depends on whether governments carry the recommendations into negotiations and act on them.

When is Children and Youth Day at COP31?

14 November, one of the COP31 thematic days. The pavilion also hosts youth events throughout the conference, including a youth mental-health session on 10 November and sessions led by the Global Youth Ambassadors on 14 November.