A seat at the lopsided table: does representation equal inclusion?
The UN Water Conference, held this March in New York, was the second of its kind, following the 1977 UN Water Conference in Mar-de-Plata, Argentina. Forty-six years is a long time in policy contexts, and a lot has changed since the last conference: an entire generation has inherited a planet wrapped in competing climate crises.
The organizers, Netherlands and Tajikistan, announced that they intended to make the conference the most diverse so far, with a particular focus on youth participation. The many Conference side and special events that highlighted youth indicated that the youth representation has increased. However, does their inclusion equal impact? Some of the young participants said they felt ill-prepared to contribute to a policy structure designed without young people in mind.
“You get a seat at the table which is a step from a tokenized representation, the sessions are informative, but there is no meaningful exchange”, said Yelysaveta Demydenko of the Water Youth Network.
A lack of mentorship
The youth are emerging into a force that goes beyond the limited role they were restrained to in the past, but they often lack support.
“Young people often have a hard time finding their way – though youth representation has improved, a mentorship approach is missing,” said Carolina Tornesi Mackinnon, President of the World Youth Parliament for Water. Though youth representation and influence has improved in recent years, she yearns for a day when young people are invited not because of their youth, but because their expertise and perspectives are valued.
Jana Elbrecht, part of the We Are Tomorrow Global Partnership said the UN Water Conference did not draw as much youth as climate events. As is often the case for international conferences, several young prospective conference participants faced difficulties financing their trips, and getting U.S. visas to travel, she said, adding that even when youth succeed in overcoming such obstacles, it doesn’t always mean that they can influence the fora they are part of, she said.
“Young people need to work really hard to be heard. But sometimes they are,” she said, adding that is more likely to happen in smaller meetings. Still, the presence of young people is important, she argued.
While the youth are being invited at global events, their inclusion at national and local levels remains low. “This is especially true for the Global South, where the decision-making is still top-down,” said Bota Sharipova, PhD Candidate at IHE Delft and speaker in an online Conference side event.
Placing meaningful youth engagement at the heart of Water Action
Young people perform several key roles in the water sector – as mobilizers, connectors, motivators and innovators. Thus, there is both an urgent need to recognize and address the disproportionate impacts that the climate crises have on the youth.
“I think without engaging younger generations, we lose direct interactions with those who will consume the decision and choices of today. If they are engaged now, they are better prepared to respond to challenges in future”, said Sharipova.
Lindsey Kenyon, an IHE Delft Master’s student who was part of the IHE Delft delegation at the Conference in New York, called for more learning opportunities for youth in her remarks at a side event.
“A changing world needs adaptive, educated, and uninhibited thinkers,” she said, adding that she is committed to reflect on her biases and share her learnings at IHE Delft with other young professionals, especially young women in science.
"Without engaging younger generations, we lose direct interactions with those who will consume the decision and choices of today."
With the youth, rather than for the youth
Conferences and policies that are developed in partnership with young people are more likely to be effective. When young people are involved with policy development, they are more likely to feel invested in the decisions that are made. This can result in increased civic engagement and a stronger commitment to public service.
Empowering young people to be active participants in the policy-making process also can contribute to a more engaged and informed citizenry. But for youth engagement to be meaningful, it must view young people as equal partners in decision-making processes and conferences. Policies that are developed with youth, rather than for youth.