IPYG Mongolia Introduces Youth-Led Environmental and Peace Campaign at UNCCD COP17
IPYG Mongolia participated in the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from August 17 to 28. During the conference, IPYG operated a booth in the Green Zone on August 19, 21, and 22, where it introduced its key initiatives and the youth-led campaign “Youth’s Unity–Green Gateway,” encouraging members of the public to take part.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the Convention’s supreme decision-making body. Held biennially since 2001, the international conference brings together stakeholders to address global land degradation, desertification, and drought. This year’s conference, held under the theme “Restoring Land, Restoring Hope,” took place in Mongolia, a country significantly affected by climate change and desertification, where environmental issues have drawn considerable international attention.
At the event, IPYG Mongolia introduced the Green Gateway campaign and highlighted its efforts to connect environmental action with peace education and responsible citizenship. Since 2023, the campaign has planted approximately 20,000 trees at more than 100 locations and trained over 3,000 peace educators. IPYG’s participation through the booth provided an opportunity to demonstrate the tangible progress that youth-led peace campaigns have made in improving the environment.
During a presentation at the booth, Khulan, a member of IPYG Mongolia, emphasized the importance of sustaining the campaign, saying, “Sustainable environmental action begins with a change in awareness. When awareness changes, attitudes change. When attitudes change, everyday habits change. When habits change, collective action becomes sustainable. And only sustained collective action can bring about lasting social change.” She also expressed her commitment to continuing these efforts in the future.
The booth attracted numerous visitors, including citizens and representatives from organizations such as the Youth Initiative for Land in Africa (YILAA) and the Youth Organization of Ulaanbaatar Railway. Visitors showed interest in IPYG’s activities, with some expressing their intention to become members of HWPL and participate in future campaigns. Jaap van Hierden, the UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, also attended IPYG’s booth presentation at its invitation, listened to the presentation, and expressed his appreciation for IPYG’s continued peace efforts.
The United Nations in Mongolia also featured IPYG’s booth activities on its official social media channels, while Mongolia’s national broadcaster MNB reported on IPYG’s participation in COP17. TV9 livestreamed IPYG’s entire presentation and conducted a follow-up interview, further bringing attention to its activities.
Through its participation in COP17, IPYG Mongolia introduced its youth-led environmental initiatives and peace education efforts to the international community, while creating an opportunity to broaden public interest and participation in continued tree-planting efforts and a range of peace and environmental activities.
