Children, Adolescents and Youth in the update of Colombia’s Biodiversity Action Plan to 2030

Learn more about this constructive and participatory process to include proposals from children, adolescents and youth for the update of Colombia’s Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).

Resources: Complementary document on children, adolescents and youth in the update of Colombia’s Biodiversity Action Plan to 2030.

  • Meeting of children, adolescents and youth: Biodiversity, gender and climate change, March 2025.
    During this meeting, the results of the children, adolescents and youth pathway for updating the BAP and the commitments and key actions with an intergenerational approach were socialized.
  • Convergence of Children, Adolescents and Youth, November 2024. In articulation between the Ministry of Environment and the IKI Interfaz program for the promotion of the Route of Children, Adolescents and Youth for the update of the Biodiversity Action Plan.
  • COP16, October 2024: During COP16, held in the city of Cali, the Colombia Biodiversity Action Plan 2030 was socialized with the voice of children and youth as key actors for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the guarantee of the rights to a healthy environment and the promotion of the 2030 agenda in the country.
  • Virtual meetings, August to October 2024: As part of the BAP updating process, more than 7 virtual meetings were held in collaboration with different socio-environmental youth organizations focused on biodiversity, climate change and environmental education.

    • Achievements and Milestones

    • Recognition of the role of children and youth in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity: Children, adolescents and youth are agents of change as spokespersons to achieve a harmonious relationship with nature, in turn, ensure the continuity and sustainability of long-term goals, as well as the incorporation of the rights to a healthy environment for future generations.
    • The diversity of perspectives, knowledge and needs of children and young people is recognized through 38 commitments, 17 actions of the differential route with different sectors, and 16 commitments related to the mainstreaming of the intergenerational approach in ethnic communities and gender.
    • Promotion of participation and articulation of multiple institutional and non-state actors: Training, dialogue and advocacy spaces were promoted to strengthen the participation capacities of youth at all levels (local, regional and national), as well as the incorporation of the voices of more than 1,000 actors during the process of updating and socialization of the Biodiversity Action Plan.

    Next steps

    • Formalization of commitments of Children, Adolescents and Youth towards the implementation of the Biodiversity Action Plan: Progress must be made towards the effective implementation of the 38 commitments prioritized in the Differential Route of Children, Adolescents and Youth of the BAP, articulating these actions with the NDC, the Gender and Climate Change Action Plan.
    • Capacity building and intergenerational governance for biodiversity: As part of the objectives of the IKI Interface II project, the capacities of organizations, networks and collectives of children, adolescents and youth will be strengthened to participate actively and co-responsibly in the implementation of the BAP and the climate agenda.
    • Preparation for monitoring and reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD): Colombia must prepare the Seventh National Report to the CBD (2026) based on the indicators established by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. For this, it will be key to strengthen the enabling conditions (Output 3 of IKI Interface II) for monitoring the progress of the BAP, including the follow-up of actions with an intergenerational approach.

    Key messages from children, adolescents, and young people in the PAB update

    Learn about the Children, Adolescents, and Youth route at COP 16