Young delegates attended Bali climate change conference

As government officials and other interested parties attended the new round of discussions on climate change in Bali at the beginning of December 2007, Plan was supporting children to use their voice in international policy-making.

Delegates Eni, Hezel, Thomas and Hanna at the conference

To date, children's voices on climate change have been largely absent from UN Climate Change negotiations. Plan believes children have the right to be heard and to expect the Kyoto Protocol successor to meet their needs, given that children will bear the greatest consequences of climate change.

Four young people from the Philippines, Sweden, UK and Indonesia were in Bali and took part in the event by observing the negotiations, challenging ministers and official delegates, participating in side events, and helping design a process whereby thousands of their peers can have their voices heard in future international climate change meetings.

The young delegates shared their views on the impact of climate change in their lives and that of their peers and communities; and shared their ideas on how we can educate and inspire others to work together to address the challenges brought about by climate change.

From the Bali conference

The Green Room - Thomas is interviewed by The Guardian newspaper

Read the delegates' daily blogs

Watch a webcast of the press conference given by the delegates - Influencing our future: Children's voices in the COP process

Listen to podcasts by Thomas, Hanna, Hezel and Eni about their experiences at the conference

Background information on the Bali conference

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 2002. The Convention has the goal of preventing "dangerous" human interference with the climate system. The Kyoto Protocol, an addition to the treaty, introduced binding targets on emissions reductions for all parties to the protocol, and came into force in 2005. The 13th annual Conference of Parties and Meeting of Parties (COP/MOP 13) of UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol will take place on the Indonesian island of Bali from 3-14 December 2007. For more information

Links and further reading on the topic

• Children in a Changing Climate Programme (CCC) -Plan, in partnership with the Institute of Development Studies, is launching a new research programme investigating the role children can play in reducing risks from disasters and adapting to climate change For more information
• The UK National Children's Bureau is working with young people in the UK with an interest in challenging climate change. NCB is a Plan partner in the CCC programme
• Plan is supporting vulnerable communities to  build children's resilience to climate change adaptation - Read more