This program prepared Six Nigerian Youth Delegates for COP30 by providing a clear understanding of how COP negotiations work, guidance on how activism and advocacy can influence negotiation outcomes plus opportunities to practice persuasive communication and coalition-building within a policy context through expert briefings, interactive exercises, and peer exchange. Through this workshop, delegates deepened their understanding of the COP as key UNFCCC processes and strengthened their ability to contribute meaningfully to COP30 negotiations in particular.

The Negotiation Café addresses a pressing paradox: Many young people are driven by change, and most of this change will happen systemically, starting by unbundling the top-down approach that the youth demographic constantly deal with across board. The current diplomatic landscape favors well-resourced delegations with deep institutional knowledge, which often result in systemic imbalance where demands from frontline coalitions, countries, and indigenous platforms are not prioritized, usually upended by economic interests or delayed in the interest of developed nations. We’re addressing this systemic barrier by equipping young climate negotiators with the knowledge and skill needed to categorically shift how the negotiation process is approached, and in ensuring clear defined goals for regions they represent.