The TUNZA International Youth Conference is one of the main platforms for cooperation
and interaction between UNEP and its youth partners.
It is the vision of the organization to "foster a generation of environmentally
conscious citizens who will better influence decision-making processes and act
responsibly to create a sustainable world".
Organized
for young people (15-24 years), the Conferences provides opportunities for young
people to learn from one another, share experiences and ideas on community-based
environmental actions and develop joint strategies on promoting environmental
protection.
A number of workshops, plenary sessions, focused group discussions, field trips as well as panel discussions will take place. Furthermore, a new TUNZA Youth Advisory Council with two advisors for each of the six UNEP regions and two advisors representing indigenous youth organizations will be elected by the participants.
The TUNZA conference 2007 follows in the footsteps of the 2005 TUNZA conference in Bangalore, India. Before the adoption of the TUNZA strategy by the UNEP Governing Council in 2003, UNEP had been organizing Global Youth Forums for young people from 15 to 24 years since 1986. These gatherings of environmentally active youth are an important element in realizing the "vision of the organization to foster a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who will better influence decision-making processes and act responsibly to create a sustainable world".
