Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Preserved Embassy Foundation
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The Nature Embassy Foundation held a meeting to discuss the agenda of a new international youth club. The club will bring together students, young employees of protected areas, and specialists working in sustainable development and nature conservation. The Nature Embassy International Youth Club will host events of various formats to strengthen the role of Russian specialists in the international arena.
The first meeting of the "Tools for Involving Youth in the Implementation of the International Environmental Agenda" club was held at the "Primordial Russia" festival. Yulia Vereshchak, Director of International Projects at the "Zapovednoye Posledstvo" Foundation and the meeting's moderator, emphasized that the primary outcome of the new club's work should be the inclusion of a youth track in the program of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) to be held in Armenia on October 19-30, 2026, and the World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC26) to be held in Australia on September 20-25, 2026.
Natalia Danilina, President of the Nature Embassy Foundation and Director of the Zapovedniki Ecocenter, noted that the youth international club's members could benefit from the connections established between these organizations over 30 years of work. Specifically, the Nature Embassy works with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Zapovedniki Ecocenter is a long-standing member of this global conservation organization. Staff from the Nature Embassy and the Ecocenter serve on committees in various areas and actively promote Russia's interests and its inclusion in the global conservation agenda, organizing the participation of Russian delegates in international events.
Natalia Danilina encouraged young people to develop their skills through work with protected areas, including volunteering and participating in IUCN international commissions, such as the Climate Change Commission, the Species Survival Commission (SSC), the Ecosystem Management Commission (CEM), and, of course, the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). She also mentioned the Ecocenter's collaboration with the Europark Federation, which has extensive European programs for young participants, as well as opportunities for bilateral international exchanges and internships offered by the Nature Embassy Foundation for young protected area staff.
According to Natalia Danilina, young activists should begin their participation in global dialogue by volunteering in nature conservation in their own country to immerse themselves in environmental issues and, once they have acquired real competencies, engage in work at the international level. "The international program of the 'Nature Embassy' is expanding, and our organization is ready to help young people participate in global events, working with businesses to find funding for this. Through international dialogue, sharing experiences, and tapping into the creative potential of young people, ideas for real solutions in nature conservation will emerge," Natalia Danilina noted.
Natalia Dorpeko, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact National Network, supported the creation of the new international club, "Zapovednoye Embassy," and noted the opportunity for the UN Global Compact National Network in Russia to partner with the club. Natalia Dorpeko emphasized the importance of international cooperation on the Sustainable Development Agenda overall and within environmental target tracks, emphasizing the role of youth engagement in UNEP, UNESCO, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) programs, as well as in UN-HABITAT's work on sustainable human settlements development, as well as the potential of existing international and national internships for youth under UN programs and UN Global Compact initiatives. She recommended considering initiatives supported by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which promote opportunities for Russian youth at the international level.
We will announce future meetings of the International Club in our announcements. You can register your interest in participating in the Club meetings by emailing Tatyana Margulyan, Head of International Projects Communications at the Zapovednoye Posledstvo Foundation. tmargulyan@wildnet.ru.
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