JOGJAKARTA YOUTH DECLARATION (IYC)

The present document contains the Youth Declaration adopted at the
International Youth Conference on Youth Awareness of Climate Change held in
Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on the 21st – 24th of February 2011. The document is the
outcome of consultations, discussion and contributions of the participants of the
Conference.

We, the youth representatives from 33 countries across the world gathered at the International
Youth Conference on 21 – 24 February 2011 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia,
Recalling the UN Resolution 64/134 that reaffirms youth potential role and contribution in all
aspects of life in the community,

Recalling the internationally-agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) and the importance to achieve those goals,
Recalling the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development,
Recalling also article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC),

Recalling further the outcomes of COP 16 of the UNFCCC in Cancun, Mexico and COP 10 of the

CBD in Nagoya, Japan,
Recalling the Hyogo Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction,
Recognizing that the environmental degradation is growing at an alarming rate and poses a
threat to the well-being of humankind,

Recognizing that climate change constitutes a global problem that calls for the widest possible
cooperation by all nations in accordance with the principles of common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective capabilities,
Noting that human activities are one of the underlying causes for environmental problems,
including climate change,

Acknowledging that the economic and financial crises as well as environmental problems such
as energy and food crises and climate change have impeded the poverty alleviation and the
progress of the achievement of the internationally-agreed development goals, including the
MDGs,
Noting that youth has significant roles in facing the impacts of climate change through

partnerships with relevant stakeholders,
Item 1: Managing Our Environment: Learn from the Past, Act for the Future
The youth invites the government to:

1. Promote sustainable forest management to preserve forest resources by taking into
account the role of forests for the well-being of humankind;
2. Encourage the private sectors industry to develop more environmentally friendly products
and practices;
3. Increase the public awareness on environmental issues through the media, education
curriculum and events as well as supporting youth initiative programs;
4. Promote environmental entrepreneurship by providing supports to small and medium
enterprises;
5. Develop sustainable energy sources and promote the use of renewable energy such as solar
energy, geothermal, wind energy and etc;
6. Enhance international co-operation for addressing environmental issues;
7. Develop policies to control the growth of population;
8. Establish more conservation areas and wildlife protection centers as well as enhance the
existing ones.
The youth invites the private sector to:
1. Invest for the environmentally sound practices such as reducing emission of chemicals,
toxics and hazardous waste as well as greenhouse gases;
2. Ensure that the product life cycle is environmentally sustainable;
3. Encourage the development of energy saving products;
4. Promote sustainable life style of workers by motivating them to reduce electricity, using
public transportation, etc.
The youth invites other youth to:
1. Be actively involved in the deliberations of environmental issues at the local, national,
regional and international level;
2. Actively promote the knowledge-sharing on the global environmental issues to
communities taking advantage on the advancement of information and communication
technology, including the use of social network;
3. Implement and promote sustainable life style such as encouraging recycling, sustainable
consumption pattern, etc.

Item 2: Youth Initiatives on Environmental Conservation

The youth proposes the following recommendation for the government:
1. To actively promote climate change issues through incorporating climate change education
into both the formal and informal education system and ensuring the availability and
accessibility of related information to the public;
2. To support in-depth research on renewable energy alternatives conducted by the youth;
3. To support networking, knowledge-sharing, and continued communication amongst youth,
including through social networking group;
4. To encourage youth participation and involvement in decision-making process on
environmental issues.

The youth proposes the following recommendation for civil society:
1. To organize and support environmental events to increase the public awareness on
environmental issues;
2. To educate and motivate people to actively engage in environmental activities and
sustainable life style;
3. To maintain the check and balances function to ensure the government and private sector
to support environmentally friendly initiatives.

The youth proposes the following recommendation to youth:
1. To strengthen the youth participation in the protection, preservation and improvement of
the environment.

Item 3: Pro-Poor Conservation as the Win-Win Solution

Proposals for Governments and Intergovernmental organizations
1. To encourage the development of conservation policies that takes into account the needs of
the poor and marginalized communities;
2. To strengthen the cooperation between the governments and other international actors to
mitigate and adapt to climate change and create the legal frame to do so, with regard of the
indigenous people and local community’s wisdom;
3. To encourage the development of sustainable agriculture and fisheries;
4. To promote the exchange of knowledge and experience on mitigation and adaptation to
Climate Change by establishing / improving existing institutional networks (educational
institutions, civil society organizations, media, private sector, governmental agencies and
religious institutions);
5. To establish incentive-based taxes to companies (increasing scales for polluters and
rewarding emission reduction programs) in order to fund environmental and social initiatives aimed to reduce the externalities faced by the affected and vulnerable
communities;
6. To support community-based conservation projects of natural resources and local
development of green technologies and clean energy;
7. To provide alternative sources of income/livelihood particularly to the most vulnerable
communities;
8. To invest in research on particular needs of the most vulnerable communities (to the effects
of Climate Change) in order to identify the best ways to address them;
9. To formulate regulation for the sustainable CSR.

Proposals for Youth:
1. To engage in community projects aimed to reduce their vulnerability to Climate Change by:
● researching;
● exchanging knowledge and experience;
● involving media in disseminating success and inspiring stories;
● organizing campaigns; and
● actively participating in events,
2. To facilitate the analysis at the community level on vulnerability and the possible ways to
mitigate it.

Proposals to vulnerable people:
1. To participate in government and NGO’s activity related to mitigating and adapting to
Climate Change.