COY21 Turkiye 2026 is the 21st Global Conference of Children and Youth on Climate Change, co-organised by YOUNGO, the official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC.
COY (Conference of Youth) is the official youth-led conference held before each UN Climate Change Conference (COP), co-organised by YOUNGO. COY brings together young people from across the globe to exchange ideas, build capacity, coordinate a shared youth voice on climate action, and engage meaningfully in international climate policy. COY21 takes place November 5-7, 2026, in Antalya, Turkiye, the week before COP30.
COY21 is open to young people under 35 from around the world, including climate advocates, youth-led organizers, delegates, students, and anyone working on climate issues in their communities who wants to connect with global peers and engage in the UNFCCC process.
A world where young people are empowered to lead climate action, shape climate policy, and drive the just and sustainable transformation needed to protect people and the planet.
To convene young people from across the globe through an inclusive youth-led platform that builds capacity, promotes global collaboration, and strengthens meaningful youth participation in national, regional, and international climate processes ahead of COP30.
Turkiye sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, making Antalya an accessible and strategically significant host city for a global youth conference. Turkiye is home to a vibrant and growing youth climate movement, and its geographic and environmental context, including coastal vulnerability, extreme heat, and biodiversity pressures, reflects many of the climate challenges young people around the world are confronting.
Antalya is one of Turkiye's most internationally connected cities, with direct flight links across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The city's modern conference infrastructure, welcoming environment, and Mediterranean climate make it an ideal setting for COY21. Hosting COY here brings the global youth climate conversation to a region where climate impacts are already being felt, from rising sea temperatures to changing rainfall patterns.
COY21 is organized around three global themes, with cross-cutting priorities including meaningful youth participation, climate justice, gender equality, and global cooperation integrated throughout.
How communities around the world can respond to climate impacts while protecting people, livelihoods, ecosystems, and essential services, including climate adaptation, water and food security, climate and health, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, and climate mobility.
Pathways towards inclusive, low-carbon, climate-resilient economies that create opportunities for young people, including energy transition, circular economy, green jobs and youth entrepreneurship, sustainable mobility, and youth-led innovation.
The policies, institutions, and financial mechanisms needed to turn climate commitments into action, including climate finance, climate governance and international negotiations, youth participation and climate justice, inclusive governance, and global partnerships.
About YOUNGO
YOUNGO is the official constituency representing children and youth in the UNFCCC process. It is a global network of youth non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working on climate change. YOUNGO facilitates meaningful youth participation in international climate negotiations, coordinates youth positions, and organises COY before each COP to ensure that the voices of young people are heard at the highest levels of global climate governance.
COY21 is open to young people under 35 from around the world. Registration details and the application process will be announced through YOUNGO and COY21 official channels. This site will be updated with further detail on sessions, speakers, and partners as those are confirmed.