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The EU Youth and Sustainability Forum was held in the COP17 Green Zone in Yerevan.
The forum brought together young people, policymakers, experts, and representatives of Armenian and European institutions.
The event was organized in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, EUNIC Armenia, and the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to the EU Delegation in Armenia.
The speakers at the discussion were Krystyna Tatarian, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia; Václav Štěrba, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Armenia; Annet Kragt, Programme Manager at the EU Delegation to Armenia; European Young Ambassador (YEA) Lia Kalforian; and Youth Advisory Council (YAC) member Madlen Dokhoyan.
Tatarian emphasized the need to change public attitudes toward nature and biodiversity conservation, stressing the importance of fostering a responsible approach to the environment, the ministry said in a press release.
“We must learn to take seriously everything that we often take for granted. There are things that are given to us for free, yet their value is immeasurable. Sometimes we confuse price with value. Nature, however ordinary it may seem, is actually an extremely complex and valuable system, and we must recognize the importance of preserving it,” the deputy minister said.
Addressing ways to expand youth participation, Tatarian stressed the importance of establishing the necessary legal and institutional foundations. According to her, Armenia’s Law on Youth Policy lays the groundwork for developing young people’s capacities, ensuring their voices are heard, and enabling them to participate in decision-making processes.
The deputy minister noted that youth centers and the continuous development of youth workers’ capacities are important for encouraging young people’s initiative and ensuring their participation. She also emphasized that the profession of youth worker has been formally recognized under the new law.
Tatarian placed particular emphasis on the principle of “For youth, by youth,” stressing that young people should have the opportunity to determine their own priorities, develop the necessary skills, and implement their own initiatives. Addressing biodiversity conservation, she noted that youth centers had also become involved in environmental initiatives. According to her, protecting nature and biodiversity is now one of the priorities of the younger generation, and continued support is needed for programs in this area, including after COP17.
The forum was held in an interactive “Fishbowl” format, allowing participants to engage directly in discussions and exchange ideas. Topics included biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, raising young people’s environmental awareness, developing green skills, and Armenia–EU cooperation to ensure more active youth participation in environmental initiatives.