Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Hosts First Belize Climate Change Week

The Ministry of Sustainable Dev. Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management through the Belize National Climate Change Office and in collaboration with the Belize National Biodiversity Office hosted the first-ever Belize Climate Change Week from October 11th to 14th, 2022, at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. The theme is “Enhancing Belize’s Position in Global Climate Action.”
The objective of Belize Climate Change Week is to contribute to the improved knowledge and engagement of various stakeholders at a national level. Planners, decision makers, indigenous people, youth, women, and children must become aware of the impacts of climate change and commit to joining forces to tackle these impacts. The Belize Climate Change Week is crucial to the Government of Belize’s commitment to responding to climate change and engaging all relevant stakeholders in propelling climate action on a national and global level.
The week features a series of sessions, including the Indigenous Peoples’ Sensitization Session held on October 11th, a session for Youth and Youth Negotiators held from October 11th to 12th and a mock Conference of Parties (COP) also held on October 12th.
During the mock session, the young leaders assumed their roles as party delegates attached to negotiating blocks, each of them representing different countries. They held robust climate change negotiations throughout the exercise as is done at the actual event.
The participants were able to immerse themselves and experience the scale and intensity of the COP. This level of exposure is vital for these youth to become more engaged in the climate change discourse and to ignite their passion for debating and negotiating on behalf of their country on the national and international stage.
The session culminated with the drafting of a formal youth declaration, which was presented to and signed by the ministry’s CEO Dr. Kenrick Williams at today’s session for senior officials.
The final day will be centered on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
Belize Climate Change Week is financed by the UNDP Climate Promise Project: From Pledge to Impact.