Young people appeal to world leaders at UN Summit on Climate Change
[Read the complete report on the UNICEF website]
By Miriam Azar
NEW YORK, USA, 22 September 2009 – A delegation of young people appealed to world leaders for meaningful action today at the UN Secretary-General’s Summit on Climate Change. The group of 13 young participants, ranging from 14 to 18 years of age, asked leaders to come together and make a difference on environmental sustainability.
“I would ask world leaders to bring climate change to the highest of their agenda,” added Sayed Aown Shahzad, a 15-year-old originally from Pakistan. “I come from an agricultural background, and climate change has affected us adversely – socially and economically. My country has a population of 162 million and faces this dilemma, as does the rest of the world.”
At the request of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Team, UNICEF organized the delegation of youths living in the United States but representing diverse nationalities. They greeted heads of state and government with personal stories about how climate change has affected their lives.
Syed Aown Shahzad 