Participants of the International Youth Ecologists Camp in Gabala Adopt Final Declaration

The international youth ecologists camp, held under the slogan “The Role of Youth in Environmental Governance: Today and Tomorrow” and organized by the IDEA (International Dialogue for Environmental Action) campaign, concluded on November 26 in Gabala.

On the second day of the international camp, the work continued in sectional meetings.

In the first section, moderated by Jerome Clayton Glenn, Director of the Millennium Project, the topic “Impact of Climate Change on Youth” was discussed, with contributions from Thomas Skad, a representative of Freie Universität Berlin, and Hesham Mohamed El Roubie, President of the ETIJAH Youth Institute from Egypt.

The second section, moderated by Omar Farouk, Director of the UK's EcoMuslim organization, focused on “Efficient Use of Energy Resources.” Speakers included Alexander Avertchenkov, Chief Adviser to the UN Development Programme's representative office in Russia, and Veneta Trifonova, a representative of the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

In the third section, with the theme “Development of Innovative Technologies” and moderated by Tristan Azbej, Environmental Advisor to the ruling Fidesz-KDNP party in Hungary, Behrooz Abdolvand from the Caspian Region Research Center at Freie Universität Berlin and Rainer Vakra, a member of the Estonian Parliament, shared their insights.

Presentations in all three panel sessions were accompanied by interesting discussions, and questions of concern to young ecologists were addressed.

Speakers also discussed the significance of the international camp for young ecologists under the slogan “The Role of Youth in Environmental Governance: Today and Tomorrow,” emphasizing the importance of regularly organizing such events to discuss cooperation in solving global environmental problems. They also thanked Leyla Aliyeva, the founder of the IDEA campaign, for the high-level organization of the Gabala camp.

At the end of the international camp, the Gabala Declaration was adopted by the young ecologists.

The declaration states: “We, the youth from 35 countries around the world, are aware of the dangers posed by emerging environmental problems. We believe that current global economic models negatively impact the environment and destroy irreplaceable natural resources. We believe in the power of youth to create global harmony with the environment.”

In the declaration, young people call on people and leaders from all countries of the world to adopt the following principles for a safe future:

• Taking individual responsibility for the emerging problem.
• Respecting the right to live in a future world with less carbon emissions.
• Requiring more mutual understanding.
• Ensuring the voice of youth is heard.
• Personal commitment.

It should be noted that the purpose of the camp, attended by over 100 young ecologists from 35 countries worldwide, was to contribute to the establishment of business connections through collaboration and organization of various environmental groups and movements in the region and the world. It also aimed to ensure active participation of young ecologists in the public life of the regions they represent, strengthen their role in their communities, and encourage youth to participate as ambassadors in the process of environmental education.