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Stockholm+50

History and Mandate

A look through the history of UNEP, Civil Society engagement, and Youth inclusion

The mandate of the Children & Youth Major Group comes from UN Environment Assembly and UN General Assembly resolutions, as well as UNEP’s Stakeholder Engagement processes.

A/RES/66/288 PDF previewA/RES/66/288A/RES/67/290 PDF previewA/RES/67/290A/69/L.43 PDF previewA/69/L.43A/RES/70/1 PDF previewA/RES/70/1UNEP/EA.7/Res.6 PDF previewUNEP/EA.7/Res.6UNEA Rules and Procedures PDF previewUNEA Rules and ProceduresStakeholder Engagement Mechanism PDF previewStakeholder Engagement MechanismThe mandate of the Major Group Facilitation Committee (MGFC) PDF previewThe mandate of the Major Group Facilitation Committee (MGFC)

Timeline

How the mandate took shape

From Stockholm to UNEA, CYMG's role was built through youth engagement, civil society mechanisms, and environmental governance reform.

1972

Stockholm puts environment on the UN agenda

The Stockholm Conference placed environmental governance on the UN agenda and created the lineage that later became UNEP, UNEA, and stakeholder engagement around global environmental decisions.

UNEP background
Stockholm+50 meeting with UNEP leadership and delegates
2012

Rio+20 strengthens the mandate for participation

The Future We Want reinforced the role of major groups and stakeholders in sustainable development governance, giving youth participation a clearer institutional route.

A/RES/66/288
Preview of UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/66/288
2022

Youth engagement scales through Stockholm+50

CYMG and the Swedish Youth Council co-convened youth engagement for Stockholm+50, including a youth working group and policy inputs shaped through consultations.

CYMG Stockholm+50Youth spotlight
Children and Youth placard at a UNEP conference room
2024

YEA 2 feeds youth priorities into UNEA-6

Held at the United Nations Office in Nairobi on 17 and 18 February 2024, the second Global Youth Environment Assembly brought hundreds of youth delegates into policy discussions ahead of UNEA-6.

YEA 2024UNEA-6 record
Youth delegates gathered in a large UNEP conference room
2025

YEA 3 carries youth priorities into UNEA-7

Ahead of OECPR-7 and UNEA-7, more than 1,000 young people from 70 countries joined YEA 3 in Nairobi, with 16 sessions and a Global Youth Declaration handover on 7 December 2025.

YEA 2025UNEP story
Group photo of young participants at the Youth Environment Assembly
2025

A landmark youth participation resolution is adopted

UNEA-7 adopted UNEP/EA.7/Res.6 on meaningful youth participation in environmental processes and environmental education, creating a formal Assembly-level anchor for youth engagement.

UNEP/EA.7/Res.6UNEA-7 outcomes
Preview of UNEP Environment Assembly resolution UNEP/EA.7/Res.6