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Marie-Claire Graf

Co-Founder - Youth Negotiators Academy I Board of Directors - Climate Action Network International I Councilor - World Future Council I Intersectional Climate Justice Activist & Movement Enabler

Marie-Claire Graf is a prominent young climate advocate and co-founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy and the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme (CYNP).12 She has made significant contributions to climate policy and youth engagement in international climate negotiations.

Background and Experience

Marie-Claire gained firsthand experience in climate negotiations at a young age. In 2019, at just 23 years old, she served as a negotiator for the Swiss delegation at the UNFCCC COP25.1 This experience inspired her to address the lack of training and preparation for young negotiators in complex international climate talks.

Founding the Youth Negotiators Academy

Recognizing the need for better preparation and empowerment of young people in climate negotiations, Marie-Claire co-founded the Youth Negotiators Academy.1 The academy's first initiative, the Climate Youth Negotiators Programme (CYNP), was launched on Earth Day (April 22) in 2022.1 This program aims to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to participate effectively in multilateral climate change negotiations.5

Roles and Affiliations

Marie-Claire holds several important positions in the climate action sphere:

  • Co-founder of the Youth Negotiators Academy and Climate Youth Negotiator Programme23
  • National and international climate policy consultant and advocate4
  • Former YOUNGO Global Focal Point (2020-2021)1
  • Associated with the Future Leaders Network, a UK-based non-profit organization focused on developing the next generation of leaders7

Advocacy and Expertise

Marie-Claire is recognized for her work in:

  • Climate justice activism6
  • Climate diplomacy and policy6
  • Enabling and empowering young negotiators to participate in climate negotiations5
  • Advocating for pragmatic, responsible, and ambitious climate policies at national and international levels7

Marie-Claire Graf's efforts continue to focus on bridging the gap between youth and decision-makers in climate policy, working towards more inclusive and effective climate negotiations.

Highlights

Jan 5 · linkedin

After 734 days Heeta and I are looking back at our unforgettable time serving as Global Focal Point of YOUNGO, the official Children and Youth Constituency of the UN Climate Change.   Here is a little break down in numbers, calculated per Focal Point:

1,148,332 WhatsApp messages received —> 1,573 a day 67,597 WhatsApp messages sent —> 927 a day 42,278 emails received (unnecessary reminders and newsletters not counted) —> 58 a day 40,000 children and youth contributing to the collective Global Youth Statement for COP26 10,000+ YOUNGO members 1100+ global and virtual Conference of Youth delegates 734 days (twice as much as normal) 600+ scheduled meetings, presentations and talks  325 WhatsApp common groups between us (our goal was 333 but sadly did not reach this target)  160+ countries represented in YOUNGO across all the regions 101 COP26 badges for YOUNGO, some fully or partially funded  77 pages Global Youth Statement 54 Global Coordination Team members 45 Local Conferences of Youth 32 country signed the SC1.5NCE NOT SILENCE campaign  30 country signed the Declaration on Children, Youth and Climate Action 23 thematic Working Groups 4 new websites  2 mental breakdowns 2 Global Focal Points who never ever had any conflict or argument - wishing the same for the 2 incoming Focal Points  1 love for the biggest children and youth constituency in the world - our YOUNGO family 0 unopened emails and WhatsApp, Facebook and slack messages - with this ultimate achievement we are officially done!

But moreover, there are countless memories, friends, and unforgettable moments! 💕☀️

We would like to thank wholeheartedly everyone who supported us and YOUNGO as a collective bottom-up network and officially mandated mechanism throughout the last two years but also thanks to everyone who challenged us constructively to achieve even more.

We came a long way in one of the most challenging times and there is much more to come! We are proud and grateful for the trust you gave us and we are looking forward to the upcoming new tasks and challenges.

Heeta and Marie-Claire 🙏😍 #climatechange #grateful #team #YOUNGO #youthclimate

May 19 · linkedin

⏰Join me in 10 minutes at the Student Summit on Climate Action and Biodiversity by the Global Student Forum ☘️

Environmental justice activism post-COVID-19: Rebuilding momentum, coming back stronger! ☀️

Students and youth are not waiting for action on climate change and protecting biodiversity. Movements led by students and youth have demanded greater action from governments to protect the environment and promote a sustainable future for generations to come. Advocacy and activism at all levels are instrumental to effectively responding to the ecological crises of our time. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates and activists fought to keep the issues of climate change and biodiversity in governments and development agencies turn to “recovery.” There is no “recovery” without action on climate change and biodiversity.

https://lnkd.in/dE3dkAJ Meeting ID: 979 6138 7299 Passcode: 991900

Related Questions

What inspired Marie-Claire Graf to start the Youth Negotiators Academy?
How did Marie-Claire Graf's experience at COP25 influence her career?
What are some key achievements of the Climate Youth Negotiators Programme?
How does the Climate Youth Negotiators Programme prepare young people for climate negotiations?
What other organizations has Marie-Claire Graf worked with?
Marie-Claire Graf
Marie-Claire Graf, photo 1
Marie-Claire Graf, photo 2
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