TERMS OF REFERENCE
A• REFERENCE
1. UNEP/GC.22/3/Add.1/Rev.1: Long-term strategy on engagement and involvement of young people in environmental issues.
B • BACKGROUND
2. The Tunza Youth Advisory Council (TYAC) is meant to comprise up to 12 Advisors (two per UNEP region) and, as much as possible, two representatives of indigenous youth organizations. Each Advisor has an Associate Advisor who stands in for him or her when he/she is not available. The Council advises UNEP on better ways of engaging young people in its work and represents young people in international environmental fora. The Council also seeks to increase youth involvement in UNEP's work by informing youth groups in their regions about UNEP's programmes for young people. Members of the Advisory Council are elected at each Tunza International Youth Conference to serve for a period of approximately two years.
C• RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS
3. Assist UNEP (including UNEP Regional Offices) on better ways of engaging young people by:
i). advising UNEP on the development of programmes, events and publications for young people, and the UNEP's youth strategy; ii). advising UNEP on the perspectives of young people on issues of sustainable development.
4. Promote youth engagement with UNEP by:
i). informing young people about, and facilitating participation in, UNEP's programmes, events and publications for young people (including helping organise the programme the UNEP Tunza International Youth Conference and the UNEP Tunza Global Youth Retreat), and the implementation of the Tunza youth strategy;
ii). informing young people about, and facilitating participation in, UNEP's wider activities and policies.
5. Facilitate youth input in local, national, regional and international environmental fora by:
i). advocating for the views and activities of young people at local, national, regional and international environmental fora (including both regular and special sessions of the UNEP Governing Council, UNEP Tunza International Youth Conference and UNEP Tunza International Youth Retreat).
6. Contribute to the development of UNEP's publications by:
i). making suggestions on, and contributions to, the development of the Tunza Magazine;
ii).promoting the use of Tunza: Acting for a Better World;
iii). participating in the development of the GEO-for-Youth in their region.
7. Upon the completion of his/her mandate, provide a detailed briefing to his/her successors and provide further advice as may be necessary.
8. The Council may from time to time establish Communication Guidelines to facilitate the fulfilment of these responsibilities. These Guidelines may prescribe additional, binding communications requirements and should be treated as an extension of these Terms of Reference.
9. Each Advisor and Associate Advisor will provide, on a semi annual basis, a report detailing his / her efforts in fulfilling these responsibilities. These reports will be sent to the Children and Youth Unit, relevant UNEP Regional Offices, and other stakeholders (including other young environmentalists).
D• RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNEP
10. Provide Tunza Youth Advisors with the required opportunities (including accreditation to relevant events), information (environmental and otherwise) and funding (as available), and assist in building their skills (eg in areas of fundraising, working with the media, participating in intergovernmental meetings), to fully and effectively fulfil their responsibilities, as outlined above.
11. Formally introduce the new TYAC members to each Regional Directors and relevant youth focal points in UNEP.
12. Maintain regular contact from Headquarters and Regional Offices with Tunza Youth Advisors, keeping them informed of relevant developments (environmental and otherwise).
13. Provide the TYAC with letterheads and ID cards to enable them to be identified as members of the UNEP TYAC.
E• ELIGIBILITY
14. All delegates to the Tunza International Youth Conference are eligible to be nominated for the positions of Tunza Youth Advisor or Tunza Associate Youth Advisor if they satisfy the following criteria.
15. At the time of election, nominees must not be younger than 15 years old and must not have celebrated their 23rd birthday the time of the elections.
16. Participants are only eligible for nomination in the region where they reside.
17. Nominees must be members of a youth environmental organizations.
18. Nominees must have good communication skills in English and have access to, and be reasonably proficient in, worldwide communication technology.
19. Advisors will serve for a maximum of one term of two years, provided they fulfil all eligibility requirements. Only Associate Advisors will be eligible to run for a second mandate. The title of Tunza Youth Advisors and Tunza Associate Youth Advisors is limited to the period of their service.
F• ELECTION OF MEMBERS
20. Relevant information regarding the Tunza Youth Advisory Council will be made available to all participants of the UNEP Tunza International Youth Conference. Applicants will publicly declare their candidacy and present themselves.
21. Advisors and Associate Advisors will be elected in a plenary session to be held towards the end of the Conference. UNEP will encourage participants to aim for gender, age and geographic / cultural diversity.
22. In keeping with UN Practice, the vote will be conducted on the principle “One country, One vote”. A maximum of two candidates will be allowed for each country. In the case of the country hosting the Tunza Youth Conference, a preliminary secret ballot will be held to determine its own two candidates.
23. The top two candidates in each region will be confirmed as Advisors, with the next two confirmed as Associate Advisors. With the exception of North America and West Asia , only the top candidate from any given country will be included in the ranks of Advisors and Associate Advisors.
24. An induction ceremony will be organized for the new Council at the end of the conference, with a public commitment and the signing of a personal pledge made by each new member.
25. If there are not enough candidates to fill all Advisor positions, vacancies may instead be filled by a vote of the other TYAC members after considering applications that they have solicited through their networks and from the relevant UNEP Regional Office. Associate Advisor roles may be left unfilled.
G• REMOVAL AND RETIREMENT OF MEMBERS
26. If an Advisor resigns, or if an Advisor does not satisfactorily fulfil his / her responsibilities (including remaining in contact with both UNEP and TYAC) for a period of three months without a reasonable explanation, the TYAC may vote to remove that member and replace him / her with the Associate Advisor who received the next highest amount of votes at the UNEP Tunza International Youth Conference where they were elected. If there are no remaining active Associate Advisors to fill a vacancy, it may instead be filled by a vote of the TYAC after considering applications that they have solicited through their networks and from the relevant UNEP Regional Office. Priority will be given to considering applications from participants from the most recent Tunza International Youth Conference who had previously been nominated.
27. After successfully completing service with the Council, Advisors and Associate Advisors shall continue to subscribe in the UNEP Youth Network and shall receive certificates of performance
H• DECISION-MAKING
28. Whenever the Tunza Youth Advisory Council has to vote, each Advisor will have one vote. Associate Advisors are not eligible to vote unless they are standing in for Advisors.
I• CHANGES TO THESE GUIDELINES
29. Changes to these guidelines can only be made by UNEP. Suggestions from members of the Tunza Youth Advisory Council can be made to UNEP for internal review.
Communication Guidelines
October 2005
Children
and Youth Unit (CYU)
Communications and Public Information Division
United Nations Environment Programme
