Youth Engaged in Wetlands (YEW), a grassroots network conceived during the 13th Conference of the Parties of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP13) in Dubai, UAE last October 2018, convened for the first time in Tokyo, Japan from January 16 to January 20, 2020 to drive greater action towards the conservation and wise-use of wetlands all around the world.
Wetland field trip and interaction with Junior Rangers in the Yatsuhigata Tidal Flats in Chiba
YEW’s main agenda in this meeting is to strengthen their strategic direction as they escalate their achievements last 2019 and lay the groundwork for 2020, the Super Year for Biodiversity, and the 14th Conference of the Parties of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP 14) which will be happening in China in 2021. In addition to this, several key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Environment of Japan, and different organizations like Youth Ramsar Japan, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, World Wetland Network, and the Ramsar Network Japan participated in this event.
YEW core team presentations and action plan sharing
AGENTS OF CHANGE
As agents of change— YEW is an inclusive international network whose mission is to provide a platform for youth to enable and empower them to protect and promote the conservation of wetlands worldwide. The YEW core team is composed of members coming from different nationalities and countries from Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, France, Guinea, India, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, Philippines, UAE, and USA.
THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION
Internally composed of diverse passionate advocates of wetlands coming from different corners of the world, YEW pushes forward the spirit of collaboration by engaging different leaders like Melina Sakiyama of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network, which is the leading youth organization for biodiversity and a youth constituent to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Emiko Nagakura, who is the Communication, Capacity Building, Education and Awareness (CEPA) Focal Point of Wetlands International.
Virtual discussion with Melina of GYBN
This meeting in Japan is just the beginning of all the work the youth will be acting upon in the coming months and years to come in driving forward the mission of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands with great hope for our wetlands and the future generations.
Made possible by: Youth Ramsar Japan
