WMO's Executive Council has given a ringing endorsement to the WMO Youth Action Plan, setting the stage for a more impactful and inclusive approach to youth engagement within WMO.
A quarter of the global population - 1.8 billion people - are between the ages of 15 and 24. Youth are future leaders and offer a wealth of expertise and innovation which is often not sufficiently reflected in current planning and decision-making - and WMO wants to redress this.
Their engagement and representation is especially important given the heightened vulnerability of younger generations to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Young people today are expected to face significantly more climate-related disruptions over their lifetimes, particularly in regions with limited resources for adaptation and resilience.
"WMO is including the youth in decision-making processes. Youth is part of our DNA. Young people are working hard, and they matter to us because the future is theirs," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
The EC resolution recommends that the Extraordinary World Meteorological Congress in October 2025 adopt the Youth Action Plan. It invites Members to nominate a youth focal point to support the implementation of the plan.
"Climate change is a generational challenge. It is very important that youth contribute to the work for adaptation and mitigation", said Dwikorita Karnawati, Director of the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics.
The Youth Action Plan represents a strategic shift toward structured, meaningful youth engagement within WMO's institutional, technical, and governance processes. It is in line with the implementation of the UN Youth Strategy 2030 and aligns with the Pact for the Future, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2024, which calls for stronger youth participation in global decision-making.
"The Plan promotes active and informed youth engagement to strengthen decision-making and ensure that young people help shape the future of weather, climate, and water services. It is a big step toward institutionalizing youth inclusion across WMO's strategic priorities and operations," said Theophilus Wellington who presented the plan to Executive Council.
Key goals of the Youth Action Plan include:
- Establishing a structured WMO youth body to contribute to decision-making.
- Enhancing youth capacity to contribute to future discussions on weather, water and climate.
- Developing youth-oriented communications and expanding collaboration with youth networks.
The plan was shaped through an extensive consultation process, which took place from August 2024 to January 2025. Contributors included focal points from WMO Regional Associations, Technical Commissions, and the Research Board, young staff from the WMO Secretariat, and international partners such as the UN Youth Office, YOUNGO, and youth representatives active at the UN Climate Change conference, COP29, in Azerbaijan in 2024.
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