The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through its Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, invites organizations involved in environmental projects in the region to nominate youth candidates from the different subregions to participate in the Tunza Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Background

TUNZA is a Swahili word that means ìto treat with care”. The TUNZA initiative aims to encourage a global movement in which youth and children from around the world participate in environment-related activities, as well as to raise awareness and influence civil society and policymaking in favour of the environment.

Within the framework of the Tunza strategy for children and young people, the Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean aims to reinforce the Youth Network, review the strategy and regional action plan of Tunza, increase support of young people for the mission of UNEP and facilitate dialogue and discussion on priority environmental issues.

The agenda of the 2013 meeting will include such topics as the participation of Major Groups and Stakeholders in the work of UNEP, the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the implementation of the Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development. It is expected that the key messages on the items addressed in the regional declaration of the youth of Latin America and the Caribbean will be consolidated.

UNEP will invite the outgoing and incoming regional representatives of the Tunza Youth Advisory Council (TYAC) and the regional representative of the Junior Board, as well as three or four youth organizations from each of the four subregions (Andean, Caribbean, Southern Cone and Mesoamerica).

For more information contact: http://www.pnuma.org/tunza/index.php

Rules and conditions for participating:

Participants: members of youth organizations from any of the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

(1) The organization will promote geographic diversity and gender balance. In addition, and to the extent possible, UNEP will ensure that indigenous youth organizations are represented and that there is balanced participation between veteran representatives and new members.

(2) Application letters should consist of a maximum of 400 words explaining the candidates’ merits on the basis of which they should be chosen as sub-regional representatives. They are to briefly detail candidates’ experience and the manner in which they will take advantage of their attendance at the meeting and give continuity to the Tunza topics, encouraging discussion and information sharing among participants in the network.

(2) The maximum age for participating is 24 years at the time of the opening of the meeting. The minimum age is 14.

(3) Applications should give candidates’ complete name, nationality (country and city of residence), organization to which they belong, date of birth (day, month, year), complete address, telephone number and e-mail.

(4) Candidates should include the names and contacts of the NGOs, movements, or associations (name, webpage, e-mail) with which they work on topics related to youth and environment, and indicate if these are local, national, regional or regional contacts.

(5) Applications that do not meet all the requirements indicated herein will not be accepted.

UNEP will cover the cost of participation in the meeting, including the transportation expenses and room and board of the selected candidates.

The application deadline is 20 October 2013.

Announcement of participants

The names of the selected participants will be announced in late October.

Date and place of the meeting

20-21 November 2013. Panama City, Panama.

Send applications to: [email protected]

Form:

Please provide the following information:

http://www.pnuma.org/documentos/20131009_CALL_TUNZA_MEETING.doc