Youth Climate Rights Charter unveiled ahead of COP31

More than 100 young climate activists have unveiled a 20-point Youth Climate Rights Charter ahead of the upcoming United Nations climate conference COP31 in Türkiye, calling for the realities and demands of climate-affected communities to be reflected in Bangladesh’s national policies.

At the same time, the Youth Climate Position Paper 2026, developed through consultations with young people from all 64 districts and based on the experiences of communities living in climate-vulnerable areas, was formally handed over to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The charter was unveiled and the position paper handed over during the closing ceremony of the four-day Bangladesh Youth COP 2026, jointly organised by ActionAid Bangladesh and Brighters at a venue in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

The position paper identifies seven priority areas: climate mitigation, locally led adaptation, loss and damage and climate finance, technology transfer, climate education and awareness, gender equality and social inclusion, and youth leadership in policymaking.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Paris to Antalya: A Decade of Climate Commitments and Realities.”

The position paper was prepared through focus group discussions, storytelling sessions, participatory mapping and community scorecards involving young people from all 64 districts and marginalised communities in climate-vulnerable areas. It also incorporated perspectives from seven specific vulnerable areas and findings from three years of research across six vulnerable clusters.

During the closing day, a session titled “Facing the Frontliners: CSOs and Experts” brought together Supreme Court lawyer and CCJ-B Director M Hafizul Islam Khan, CPRD Chief Executive Md Shamsuddoha, UNDP’s Sharmin Islam, UN Women’s Dilruba Haider and representatives of marginalised communities. The session was moderated by Md Nazmul Ahsan, Lead, Youth, Resilience and Climate Justice at ActionAid Bangladesh.

A separate “Children’s Voice on Climate” talk show featured marginalised children and children from Happy Home, who discussed the effects of climate change and their concerns about the future.

Meanwhile, 19 young participants of the Climate Policy Negotiation Fellowship took part in a mock negotiation based on international climate conferences. The exercise focused on loss and damage, climate finance, just transition and Bangladesh’s strategic position in COP31 negotiations.

During an afternoon session titled “In Conversation with Diplomats”, diplomatic representatives reviewed the youth-prepared position paper and highlighted the importance of youth participation in climate policymaking and international cooperation.

Dr Fahmida Khanam, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said young people could play an important role in protecting the environment, raising awareness about climate risks and addressing pollution and biodiversity loss.

Kazi Ehsanul Haque, Director General of the Climate, Environment and Transboundary Water Resources Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said decisions taken on climate change would affect young people’s future and called for greater youth participation in climate policy and decision-making.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh H.E. Susan Ryle said communities across the Indo-Pacific were already experiencing sea-level rise, extreme weather and displacement. She stressed the need for governments, local communities, young people and affected populations to work together and for COP31 to focus on implementation and the voices of vulnerable communities.

Anders B. Carlsen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh, and H.E. Shiuneen Rasheed, High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives to Bangladesh, also emphasised international cooperation and meaningful youth participation in climate action.

Nizam Uddin, a young representative from a marginalised community in Hatiya, Noakhali, highlighted the difficulties faced by island communities during storms and waterlogging, including disruptions to transport and healthcare services. He called for basic services and local protection to receive greater attention in climate adaptation policies.

The closing session was chaired by Ibrahim Khalil Al-Zayad, Chairperson of ActionAid International Bangladesh Society. Fariha Aumi, Chairperson of Brighters, presented the Bangladesh Youth Position 2026 on behalf of young people, which was formally received by Dr Fahmida Khanam.

The chair expressed the aspiration that recommendations developed through the youth consultation process would be presented as part of Bangladesh’s official policy positions at COP31. The programme concluded with a cultural presentation titled “Youth Aspirations.”

The four-day programme began on 19 September with a march from Police Plaza to Global Platform Bangladesh. It continued with thematic discussions on 20 September and an international online dialogue on 21 September before the main and closing conference on Tuesday.