Youth Participation at Climate Change Conference in Bali

UNICEF's Suzanna Dayne reports on the climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia.

Youth Participation at Climate Change Conference in Bali Suzanna Dayne: You’re watching UNICEF television. The UN climate change conference in Bali Indonesia has attracted participants from more than a 180 countries. They’re trying to come to agreement on how to reduce green house emissions and put the breaks on global warming. UN secretary General Ban Ki- moon said climate change is a moral challenge to our generation. He said that succeeding generations are depending on us, so we cannot rob our children of their future. UNICEF is working to ensure that children and young people are part of the climate change debate. The UN children’s fund is supporting a coalition of more than 30 youth organizations as they launch the global youth climate movement here in Bali. A representative from the Caribou Island said erosion due to storms and high seas is destroying her homeland. Female: Our water supply is under threat, with a lot of salt seeping into our wells. Families are feeling the impact of the disaster. Suzanna Dayne: Others spoke about the need for youth to help solve the problem of global warming. Male: Well one of the things we’re doing is coming to meetings like this to really keep our governments accountable and to really spread the message to youth back home because I think when they hear how the young people of their age in the news they’ll go, “That could be me” and then get more involved. Suzanna Dayne: UNICEF’s director of east Asian pacific region Anupama Rao Singh said that more than three million under five die each year as a result of diseases linked to the environment and they face a greater risk when disaster strike. Anupama Rao Singh: The children are more vulnerable during disasters and during emergency situations, again natural disasters are getting more frequent and intensifying in the depth and severity all over the world because of climate change. Suzanna Dayne: The issue of climate change has firmly taken hold of the global center stage and the future of our children and theirs is forever linked to the decisions that are made today. This is Suzanna Dayne for UNICEF television, unite for children.