COP23 is the 23nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is the main annual meeting of all nations under the UNFCCC to build and strengthen intergovernmental climate policy.
COP23will be held from November 6-17, 2017, in Bonn, Germany.
The Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) is the voice of the Malaysian youth climate movement at Conference of Parties (COP), more formally “the United Nations Climate Change Conference. We strike to represent the demands of a generation working and to advocate for a just, safe, and livable future for all.
Prior to COP23, delegates are expected to undergo trainings and perform other operational work. Our trainings will cover the 3 primary tracks of MYD: Advocacy, Media and Mobilisation
Advocacy:
tracking policy development and advocacy aspects of the UNFCCC and Malaysia climate change scene;
support MYD strategic policy engagements through lobbying and other associated efforts;
produce policy commentary or knowledge articles which also act as educating tool to the public
Media:
maintain our online social media and website presence;
craft MYD newsletter during COP;
pitch delegation stories to larger media outlets;
write press release and articles to disseminate climate-related information to educate the public;
track media hits
Mobilisation:
Interact and collaborate with youth from other organisation and nations to plan actions in the UNFCCC space;
coordinate with other action planning hubs
What if climate change is not just about the climate?
Other potential responsibilities on our team include fundraising, logistical support, identifying and facilitating coordination opportunities with other youth-focused groups, leading on artistic elements of action, and more! There is a TON of flexibility in how you use this space.
Delegates will also be constantly producing knowledge articles based on the above tracks, and will be published on PowerShift Malaysia website as part of the training. Besides, we will have the opportunity to work with government officials, civil society representatives, and youth from around the world, all while organizing direct actions, coordinating media outreach, and lobbying government delegates.
We are open to new and creative ideas on how our delegation can most effectively push for the world we need.
What will MYD 2017 program look like?
Month
Agenda
March
Recruitment
April
Retreat
COP crash course #1
MYD buddies experience sharing + understanding youth role in YOUNGO
May
Parliament visit
June
Understanding Malaysia Constituency
Engagement with CSO and Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (NRE)
Updates from Bonn Intersectional
July
COP crash course #2
Understanding Malaysia Climate Change Policies + National Determined Contribution (NDC)
Understanding Media/Campaigning/Journalism in Climate Change
August
Understanding Politic, Economics and Climate Change
COP Stimulation
September
Training series to be suggested by MYD17 member
Training series to be suggested by MYD17 member
October
Pre COP Briefing
Re-Engagement with CSO and Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (NRE)
November
COP23
December
Post COP Forum
*all agenda listed above are subjected to change
What are we going to do in COP23?
We are expected to track the negotiation process and report back to local and online audiences via social media updates and articles writing. You also have the chance to take part in youth-led mobilisations or actions that will be happening in or outside of the venue, together with youth/people coming from different countries in the world.
You will also be the youth representative of Malaysia to introduce Malaysia’s condition and having the chance to learn A LOT more about the climate change issue in terms of a global perspective.
We welcome any Malaysian youths (age 18-30 by 1st Nov 2017) or youths who are currently based in Malaysia. If you are a Malaysian citizen who is overseas, you are welcomed to apply too!
MYD is hoping to have a diverse team of climate fighters: from action-oriented climate advocators to climate policy geeks and climate storytellers. No prior or minimum requirement is needed, as we believe everyone is here to learn. If you are a risk-taker who is willing to step out from your comfort zone and constantly challenge yourself, we want you!
How does the commitment looks like?
Delegates are expected to begin work once the MYD 2017 team is formed. Delegates are expected to commit ~6 hours per week on preparations for COP23 from April 2017 onward. A crucial aspect of this is participating in bi-weekly conference calls with other delegation members. This time commitment will increase as the negotiations draw closer.
Additionally, if you are accepted to the delegation, that does not automatically qualified you to attend COP23. We will eventually select the final COP23 delegation based on your commitment level throughout the pre-COP period.
Note that your commitment will fluctuate depending on your role in the team.
Do I need to pay for anything?
We will do our very best to make this program financially accessible to all delegates – and with that said, delegates are inevitably responsible for covering their travel, housing, and food expenses. We will work to secure grants, hold fundraisers, and help raise money to cover trip expenses. Delegates also typically undertake individual efforts to raise funds to cover their costs of attendance.
Additionally, if you are accepted to the delegation, that does not automatically qualified you to attend COP23. We will eventually select the final COP23 delegation based on your commitment level throughout the pre-COP period.
So, what should i do now?
Tunggu apa lagi(wait no more) ?! Join MYD je laaaa.
What i need to do after i send in my application form?
Please take note that your application will ONLY be processed after we receive the requested Creative/Writing component from you as part of the application criteria. Kindly send to powershiftmsia@gmail.com latest by 31 March 2017 23:59 GMT8+.
Kindly email us at powershiftmsia@gmail.com if you have not receive any reply from us after your submission.
First round of interview will be out by 20th March and you will be informed regardless of being shortlisted or not. Applicants will then be called for an online screening interview.
What is next ?
All applicants will be invited to join our annual MYD retreat which will fall on 15th to 16th April 2017. Attendance are highly encourage.
You will go through an overview of what to expect throughout the commitment period, capacity building as well as team building sessions. You will also get the chance to interact with alumni members through experience sharing which is essential to ensure transfer of knowledge. Minimum charge will be borne by the applicants
YES, climate change is happening when you are reading this post. AND WE NEED YOU
Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) is recruiting for our 2017 intake to the COP23, this year at Bonn, Germany – the Headquarters of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Are you excited yet? 😀 (We are!)
*Alternatively, you can click HERE for the application
Application deadline: 31 March, 11:59p.m. GMT8+
For those who missed the best part, here’s a basic explanation of what we do and why YOU are important to be part of this movement, in 5 minutes or less.
Click here and here to see what other past MYD members/partners said about their experiences with us.
You can also find a collection of articles from MYD2016 and MYD2015 here to have a sneak peek on what we do in the past. Alternatively, if you are sooo keen and sooo into reading more about us, you may search “MYD” on our website to find out the comprehensive list of MYD articles!
Lastly, feel free to contact us atpowershiftmsia@gmail.com or +6016-3376768 if you want to know more about MYD.
The Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) is the voice of the Malaysian youth climate movement at Conference of Parties (COP), more formally “the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Made up of dedicated and inspiring youth leaders from across the country, the delegation represents the demands of a generation working to create a just, safe, and livable future for all.
MYD objectives are to:
Represent youth climate movement in Malaysia
Educate Malaysians on UNFCCC and Malaysian climate policy
Hold our leaders accountable for the promises and actions responsible for climate change
Act in solidarity with frontline communities for those suffering the effects of climate change in Malaysia and across the globe
Erm … what is COP?
COPs are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the supreme decision-making body of the Convention to assess progress in dealing with climate change
This year, COP will be held at its “home base” in Bonn, Germany from 6-17 November 2017.
The Paris Agreement was adopted on 12th December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. The whole process took less than one year. This shows that the world as a whole agreed on a path forward, a path to keep warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, and for the first time to pursue efforts to limit temperature increases to 1.5 degrees C.
Thus, YOUth involvement is vital to reshape this process in a way that meets the needs of our communities, and our planet when our future is being negotiated!
The delegation will be facing many challenges within and outside of the UN framework. We’re looking for excited, talented, inspiring young people to join us this year. Our focus will be in growing real change, both at COP and beyond.
The structure of the programme and delegation will be in three primary tracks: Advocacy, Media and Mobilisation. Here are a few examples of what you might do as a delegate within each of these tracks:
Advocacy:
tracking policy development and advocacy aspects of the UNFCCC and Malaysia climate change scene;
support MYD strategic policy engagements through lobbying and other associated efforts;
produce policy commentary or knowledge articles which also act as educating tool to the public
Media:
maintain our online social media and website presence;
craft MYD newsletter during COP;
pitch delegation stories to larger media outlets;
write press release;
track media hits
Mobilisation:
plan actions in the UNFCCC space;
coordinate with other action planning hubs
Other potential responsibilities on our team include fundraising, logistical support, identifying and facilitating coordination opportunities with other youth-focused groups, leading on artistic elements of action, and more! There is a TON of flexibility in how you use this space. We are open to new and creative ideas on how our delegation can most effectively push for the world we need.
(Spoiler ahead. If you want to know more, please continue to read. Don’t say we didn’t warn you)
What MYD will do ?
Throughout the year, we will be organising training series which the topics will be on UNFCCC and related to Malaysia climate policy and also engagement activities
The tentative agenda are as below.
Month
Agenda
March
Recruitment
April
Retreat
COP crash course #1
MYD buddies experience sharing + understanding youth role in YOUNGO
May
Parliament visit
June
Understanding Malaysia Constituency
Engagement with CSO and Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (NRE)
Updates from Bonn Intersectional
July
COP crash course #2
Understanding Malaysia Climate Change Policies + National Determined Contribution (NDC)
Understanding Media/Campaigning/Journalism in Climate Change
August
Understanding Politic, Economics and Climate Change
COP Stimulation
September
Training series to be suggested by MYD17 member
Training series to be suggested by MYD17 member
October
Pre COP Briefing
Re-Engagement with CSO and Ministry of Natural Resources & Environment (NRE)
November
COP23
December
Post COP Forum
*all agenda listed above are subjected to change
MYD moments of impact
MYD2015 @ COP21
MYD2016 @ COP22
A tired day at the negotiation
Youth action @ COP22
Light moment with Malaysian Negotiator and CSO during COP
MYD member giving intervention at COP21
Post COP22 Forum
MYD member voicing out on youth participation and the post-Marrakech scenario
(Take a deep breath, MAJOR SPOILER below)
Application is opening real SOON and we need you!
We always believe YOU-th are the solution. We are opening our application for Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD) to this year’s COP23, @ Bonn, Germany! STAY TUNED
All applicants will be called for an online screening interview. Then, we will be hosting an in-person retreat for all applicants, which will be held on the weekend of 8th & 9th April (tentative). Location is yet to be determined. The applicants only will be selected and notified one week after the retreat.
Throughout the entire COP23 journey, the delegation will have the opportunity to work with government officials, civil society representatives, and youth from around the world, all while organizing direct actions, coordinating media outreach, and lobbying government delegates.
New delegate applications are starting from 6th March 2017, Monday
COP22, also known as the COP of action as articulated by Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was said to pave the way and adopt practical means of implementation to the Paris Agreement. The forum will discuss the key contentious issues that arise at COP22 in regards to implementing the Agreement.
Dr Gary Theseira, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment – Deputy Undersecretary of Environment Management and Climate Change Division Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. He is responsible for policy analysis, development and support for environment management and climate change and sustainable development.
Ms Meena Raman, Third World Network – Senior Legal Advisor to the Third World Network and coordinator of its Climate Change Programme. She has written many papers and articles on environment and development issues, especially on climate change and the negotiations in the UNFCCC. She has also has taken part in numerous national and international seminars and conferences and has presented papers on a wide range of issues, including sustainable development and environmental protection, agriculture and food, climate change, globalisation and trade. The meetings include the UN Rio Plus 20 Summit (2012), the World Trade Organisation Ministerial conferences, and the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. She also served as the Active Observer to the Board of the Green Climate Fund, representing civil society organisations from developing countries.
Ms Ivy Wong Abdullah, Yayasan Hasanah – leads the environment pillar at Yayasan Hasanah. She develops conservation priorities and strategies, formulates partnerships, and enhances collaboration with partners to protect Malaysia’s natural capital and build environmental consciousness.
Mr Nithi Nesadurai, Malaysia Climate Change Group – President of the Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM). He represents EPSM in the Malaysian Climate Change Group, a coalition of NGOs involved in climate change. He attended the annual United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change from 2000-2009, and more recently in November 2016. Between 2001 and 2009 he served as Editor of ECO, the daily news bulletin of the Climate Action Network at these COPs. In 2007 Nithi delivered the presentation on ‘Climate Change and Poverty Reduction’ to Commonwealth Finance Ministers at their meeting in Guyana. In 2010, Nithi conducted the 10-year review of the Malaysian Government’s performance on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, entitled Ensure Environmental Sustainability, as a Consultant commissioned by the United Nations.
Come along and bring friends to show support for the vital issue of tackling climate change!
#MYD – Malaysian Youth Delegation – Malaysian youth climate movement at international United Nations climate conferences, UNFCCC, participants will be mentored and hold engagements with various climate expert bodies and dialogue with Malaysian policy makers and negotiators.
MYD youth engagement with Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition and Singapore Youth for Climate Action
Friday concluded my two-week trip to Morocco. I sat in the flight and hipster hostel in London contemplating all that I have learned, heard, witnessed and felt during this journey. Everyone kept telling me that it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and it was.
Everyone kept telling me that it was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and it was.
First, let me underscore that it was far from an easy ride, contrary to the general view. We call it a ‘trip’ but it was anything but – the sweat, frustration, sleepless nights, tight deadlines and teamwork in preparing for this was and is a full-time commitment, as Emily had warned us beforehand.
Among the things we did was, with the help from our buddies, planned, organised and invited speakers for our training series, sent numerous proposals and met potential sponsors, read up on our own about UNFCCC and COP, engaged with the many organisations and youth groups already in our network and the other miscellaneous but also terrible important logistic arrangements like visa (!!), hotels, etc.
When we arrived at Morocco, it was another leg of the race. We were engaging with the Malaysian Pavilion, which included helping out at the REDD+ Day and emceeing and those events, discussing with the people behind the Ministry and Malaysian Pavilion about Malaysia in COP, meeting with various people and groups we have recently connected with or were in our existing networks like the Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition, Singapore Youth for Climate Action and a negotiator from Ethiopia we just met in our hotel. We were also constantly on the move from one meeting room to another in order to learn about how parties were negotiating and responding to the implementation of the various headings like adaptation, capacity building, gender and climate change, etc.
One of the art pieces at the ArtSpace
By the time we came home from dinner with whomever we were meeting, it was usually 10:30 pm but we also ran this ‘escort’ service at the side whereby we walked people home so they do not have to go alone; there had been news of someone almost being kidnapped in Medina circulating so we did not take chances. If we did walk people home, we would return at about 11.30 p.m. That’s the gist of what we did at COP22 as a team.
We were told to pick our focus topics but I ended up covering things beyond mine, as my focus was on learning firsthand about these negotiations by attending consultations. I may have been unfocused in that way, but I learned so much just by attending these meetings. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as a law student, spending 2 whole hours obsessing about whether to use the term ‘invite’, ‘urge’ or ‘encourage’ was really fascinating to Moon Moon and I. This is because we learn that the deliberate use and difference between two words in legislation makes a world of a difference in implementing it. I am interested in the law or policy-making aspect as it is a behind-the-scenes view of the thought processes that go into drafting them.
spending 2 whole hours obsessing about whether to use the term ‘invite’, ‘urge’ or ‘encourage’
I must warn future COP-goers however – the focus and the preparation are tremendously important. See, COP is a world on its own; it is what I keep telling the layperson, and it is something that new participants must be conscious about.
We were all interested in the negotiations on the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It could be our priorities and individual goals, but our two weeks were spent in meeting rooms and meeting people while theirs was spent engaging with youths and meeting people.
So, it is important to understand what stimulates you and helps you achieve your personal objective at COP, and be warned that they may change when you arrive. This is because what you learn in principle and what you experience will change some of your focus due to the potential of growth you sense, very much alike a plant moving towards the sunlight.
I expected to engage more with YOUNGO than I actually did, partly because they were more chaotic and exclusive than I expected them to be, but also because I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of meeting negotiators and trying to decipher what a particular decision meant in the big picture.
You will see a million different things happening at once – side-events on topics you are interested in, consultations on an issue you are waiting to learn more about, YOUNGO/CAN working groups, climate actions, ‘opportunity appointments’ (chance to meet someone important who is otherwise busy), networking events, and the list goes on depending on whether you are CSO, which badge you have and which zone you are at – and these are just what are relevant to MYD!
Don’t be too hard on yourself, and don’t be an octopus trying to reach its tentacles into every cookie jar. Reality check – you can’t be everywhere and do everything. That is why even if your focus may shift, make sure that you decide on your priorities.
I had looked forward to immersing myself at the ArtSpace, but because the Green Zone was quite far away and going through the security and all was time-consuming, it was too ‘ma fan’ (which means troublesome in Cantonese) and I only went twice. So I had missed several daily meetings and did not manage to paint the banners for the Climate Action (I ended up holding an ugly sign painted by someone else), but I did meet the most interesting negotiators and delegates from various continents and managed to have a more personal chat with our own national negotiators and the amazing people behind Third World Network.
Be realistic with your expectations, be versatile. Take enough rest and eat well so that your brain can function as the sponge it is supposed to be (#AjaranAdrian) and you do not waste a session or even a whole day without understanding and absorbing information. Have your daily meetings, be in constant contact with your team and communicate with your buddies – they helped us make sense of so many things that we were lost about and kept us in check. Trust me, you will need it too.
Last but certainly not least, immerse yourself in the experience and have fun!
Written by Nachatira Thuraichamy
Edited by Choy Moon Moon
