Speaking at the COP30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, L-COY Gambia Coordinator Kaddijatou Ceesay declared that children and young people represent the future, with their fate being decided by current negotiations. Addressing world leaders on behalf of the global youth constituency, she called for urgent climate justice and an immediate global ceasefire to end armed conflicts.
Ceesay demanded a full and equitable fossil fuel phase-out, alongside a new adaptation finance commitment that triples the Glasgow Pledge. She insisted that the principles of a just transition be made concrete through mechanisms grounded in labor and human rights. The youth advocate also criticized the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists, urging the adoption of a conflict of interest policy within the UNFCCC process.
She further called for the creation of a Nature Work Programme to integrate nature-based solutions into national climate plans. Concluding her address, Ceesay stated that climate justice is impossible without human rights and peace, emphasizing the protection of civilians from the impacts of war.
Ceesay demanded a full and equitable fossil fuel phase-out, alongside a new adaptation finance commitment that triples the Glasgow Pledge. She insisted that the principles of a just transition be made concrete through mechanisms grounded in labor and human rights. The youth advocate also criticized the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists, urging the adoption of a conflict of interest policy within the UNFCCC process.
She further called for the creation of a Nature Work Programme to integrate nature-based solutions into national climate plans. Concluding her address, Ceesay stated that climate justice is impossible without human rights and peace, emphasizing the protection of civilians from the impacts of war.
