•    H.E. Chuop Paris, Secretary of State, Ministry of Environment,
•    H.E. Sum Thy, Director General of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Environment,
•    Dr. Anirban Chatterjee, Deputy Resident Representative, UNICEF,
•    Representatives of academic institutions and youth-led businesses,
•    UN colleagues, young leaders, distinguished guests.

Good morning, Chum reap sour.

The global rise of youth movements has played a pivotal role in accelerating climate action worldwide. These movements have inspired, empowered, and mobilised millions of young people to take local action to combat climate change. However, the lack of mechanisms and opportunities often prevents them from systematically participating in climate governance. Likewise, leadership skills, knowledge, and financial resources are needed to improve the agency of climate advocates and their active engagement in national, regional, and global climate governance mechanisms and networks.

In Cambodia, UNDP contributes to raising awareness, creating opportunities, and giving young people a voice to engage in climate governance. As part of this effort, in Cambodia specifically, UNDP:

• Developed in 2024 the roadmap for engaging young people in developing the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0. In anticipation, we supported youth-led organisations focusing on climate governance and translated the UNDP Climate Dictionary to Khmer.
• We facilitated numerous learning sessions, student visits and youth dialogues with public institutions.
• Since 2023, UNDP has been supporting the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) organisation in Cambodia. This key forum allows young people to express their views in national, regional, and global forums, such as the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties.
• In 2022, UNDP implemented the Movers Programme in Cambodia, which trained 2,300 young persons in 25 cities and provinces on Climate Action, Nature, and Biodiversity. A youth mover was supported to participate in the Youth4Climate in New York on the occasion of the Opening of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Youth also participated in the Cambodia Climate Change Summit 2022.

UNDP was honoured by the award from YOUNGO, the official children and youth constituency of the UNFCCC, as “Outstanding Partner” during the YOUNGO Ceremony of Awards at COP27 in 2022.

Excellencies and distinguished participants,

2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, when countries will submit a third generation of their climate commitments, called NDC 3.0. The NDCs define the country’s commitment to reduce GHG emissions and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change that will affect today's young people and have profound implications for future generations. At the national inception workshop held in January this year, the Royal Government committed to preparing an ambitious, realistic, and inclusive document. UNDP, along with other UN agencies and development partners, are supporting this effort, leveraging joint expertise and resources to assist Cambodia in submitting its revised NDCs in support of the achievement of the global target of a 1.5 ° Celsius increase in global warming and in line with its long-term vision for sustainable growth and carbon neutrality.

Today’s conference is the opportunity to articulate, define and agree on youth action to mitigate and adapt to climate change in Cambodia. It is worth noting that Cambodia’s updated NDC, submitted to the UNFCCC in 2020, was hailed for its inclusiveness and dedicated chapters on gender, youth, and the private sector. However, there is room for improvement, particularly in target setting, expanding the youth's role beyond volunteerism and enhancing tracking and monitoring of their contributions.

Excellencies and distinguished participants,

Preparing the NDC 3.0 is a hefty task. In this connection, please allow me to take this opportunity to thank H.E. Dr. Chuop Paris and his team for their leadership and whole-of-society approach that opens a window of opportunities for young people to contribute to the process. My thanks also go to the Youth Council for Climate Action and the members of the ASEAN Youth Organisation for their diligence in making today’s LCOY a success and their active participation in the climate discussion.

Let us seize this opportunity to learn, exchange, and engage constructively to co-create a roadmap for the next ten years, bringing Cambodia closer to its 2050 carbon neutrality goal.

I wish you fruitful deliberations and look forward to the outcomes and recommendations.

Thank you, Som Arkun.