Multilateral Affairs & International Negotiations
About us
The Multilateral Affairs (MA) division is responsible for coordinating the annual Youth Delegation to UN Climate Change, managing BCCIC’s negotiation strategies and priorities in international climate negotiations, analyzing and developing policies pertaining to international cooperation on climate change, and fostering cooperation between civil society partners and governments at all levels.
The MA division sent four youth delegations to a number of international conferences and meetings – the Secretary-General’s High-Level Summit on Climate Action, the second Paris Peace Forum, SB-50 negotiations in Bonn, and COP-25 in Madrid. The Multilateral Affairs division will continue to advocate for ambitious climate policies at home and abroad.
YOUTH DELEGATIONS
Youth delegations consist of youth who are either Canadian citizens studying or working at home and abroad, as well as a few foreign students studying at a Canadian university. Their interests and areas of expertise span diverse subject areas, from international relations and economics to agriculture and conservation. Delegates have the opportunity to contribute their unique views and expertise, gain invaluable multilateral experience from attending COP25, and witness debate and cooperation among UN members states while negotiating the implementation text of the Paris Agreement.
BCCIC’s next UN Climate Conference youth delegation will attend COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. The conference was postponed to November of 2021 in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COP25 Madrid
COP24 Poland
COP23 Germany
UN Summit on Climate Action
The 2nd Paris Peace Forum
SB-50 Negotiations in Bonn
Policy Publications
Young Voice, Powerful Choices
BCCIC’s Youth Delegation Selection and Support Guidelines
In early 2020, BCCIC Climate Change formalized its youth delegation selection process in a governance policy document, drawing from learned experiences over the years of the program, as well as best practices from other similar organizations. This detailed document aims to make the process as equitable and transparent as possible, in particular to deconstruct access barriers among members of minority groups and black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC).
Raising Ambition: Young Canadians’ recommendations for an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement
Increased NDC ambition is absolutely critical for bringing the transformative change to ensure that the IPCC recommendations are met.
Recommendations on Canada’s NDC The Policy Brief outlines specific recommendations for Canada to include in an enhanced NDC, spanning topics from a new emissions target, putting Indigenous rights at the forefront of climate action, and considering how Canada’s climate finance, gender equality, agriculture, and conservation policies can be part of a progressive commitment to the Paris Agreement. Members of the COP25 delegation, along with the coordinator team, visited Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson at his constituency office to present the policy brief and establish a relationship with his office to strengthen youth inclusivity in Canada’s official delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference.