Young delegates gather in Brussels for children's climate summit

Unicef Belgium is organising its first children's climate summit on 13 November at the Brussels Museum of Natural Sciences. The goal is to inform children about climate change and strengthen their voice at the COP28 global climate conference.

The NGO underlines the importance of involving children in the climate debate, "given that the climate crisis is also a children's rights crisis". "Children are physically much more vulnerable to the effects of climate change," said general director Christèle Devos. "Moreover, they are the generation that will be most affected by global warming. Children and young people can make a valuable contribution in the climate debate."

"Children are physically more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Moreover, they are the generation that will be most affected"

More than 100 children aged between 10 and 12 will represent their school, municipality or organisation at the summit. Delegations and their supervisors, youth representatives, politicians and climate experts will engage in an all-day discussion on Monday.

The results of the summit will be taken by youth representatives, climate experts and policymakers to COP28, the global climate conference being held in Dubai in December. A child-friendly report on the global climate conference, and how children's voices were addressed there, will be delivered to all participants.

Last year, Belgium signed the Declaration on Children, Adolescents and Climate Action promising to support children's participation in the climate process. The final text of COP27 last year explicitly recognised the role for children in the climate process for the first time.

^{© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}