Cairo: EgyPulse – News Desk
The Youth Love Egypt Foundation (YLE) will participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil Nov. 10-21. This year is a significant milestone, as the conference returns to Brazil 33 years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which established the foundation for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Three young Egyptian women – Rawda Abu Bakr, Donia El-Khatib, and Sama Sami – will represent YLE in Belém, Brazil. They will be joined by a larger delegation in Brazil and 10 other participants contributing online, according to a YLE statement Tuesday. “Our participation in COP30 reflects the Foundation’s belief that effective climate action must be inclusive, youth-led, and based on global cooperation,” Ahmed Fathy, Executive Director of YLE.”
Fathy emphasized that these young people are actively contributing to the international dialogue, embodying the aspirations and capabilities of youth in the Global South to effect change. “Their presence in Belém is a testament to what young people can achieve when given the opportunity and the platform,” he added.
Donia El-Khatib, one of the three representatives, said that “returning to the land where the UNFCCC was born reminds us of our collective responsibility to review what has been achieved and look ahead to what needs to be done. Our participation in the Adaptation Track at COP30 will be a vital opportunity to exchange experiences and advance climate action.”
Rawda Abu Bakr, who is involved in gender and adaptation negotiations, stressed: “For us, adaptation is not an option; it is a matter of survival. Our role is to advocate for equality, justice, and resilience to be at the heart of every decision.” For her part, Sama Sami said “we have come from every corner of the planet with one mission: to protect our common home. We carry the dreams of young people across borders and generations, because change begins when we are present for those who cannot be.”
During its participation, the YLE delegation will focus on climate adaptation, gender, and nature-based solutions. They will strive to amplify the voices of young people from the Global South and advocate for inclusive climate policies that uphold justice, gender equality, and support on-the-ground resilience and adaptation efforts, the statement said.
