Youth / The wall has fallen down: Zhang Liangyi elected as UN youth representative through final selection

Reported by You t
ru / Taipei–Qatar

The once impenetrable high wall that restricted Taiwan’s access to the UN has truly come down this time. The 18th Conference

Note: It is classified as a Southern Hemisphere country because Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations and is internationally recognized


▲Zhang Liangyi stood out among young people worldwide to become the liaison representative of the official youth organization of the United Nations. (Photo provided by TWYCC)

The Taiwan flag is prohibited from appearing on international stages, and Taiwan cannot speak under the name “Taiwan,” but Taiwanese youth have become the only official youth representative from the Southern Hemisphere at the United Nations. In an exclusive interview with ETtoday News Cloud, Zhang Liangyi said excitedly, “We have crossed the boundaries of nationality and sovereignty perceptions. We’ve brought the walls down, and Taiwan will now be able to engage directly with the United Nations

The 18th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) was held from November 26 to December 7 in Qatar (Qatar), with representatives from various countries gathering in the capital city of Doha to negotiate and discuss issues such as the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the climate fund, and the Cancun Agreements.The conference has entered its second week, with over 200 young people gathering around the venue to present their main demands, hoping that this conference will similarly urge countries to limit global warming to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP18), in its annual agenda, has traditionally adopted regulatory proposals discussed by youth from various countries through YOUNGO, the official youth organization under the United Nations, serving as an important reference for advancing the convention.Because of this, becoming the representative window (Focal point) of the official youth organization YOUNGO is equivalent to having the power to engage directly in dialogue with the United Nations.




▲The Taiwanese youth delegate shone brightly at the COP18 conference this time, attracting the attention of many people.(Photo provided by Leung Shou Dao)

Amid passionate appeals from over 200 young people offstage, the most outstanding performer this year was undoubtedly the youth team from Taiwan – the Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition (TWYCC).Taiwanese youth climate activists traveling directly from Taiwan to Qatar—including TWYCC member Huang Pin-han, who took the stage at a United Nations press conference and became one of only three youth representatives globally speaking on international issues—have repeatedly been featured in UN reports. This time, Chang Liang-yi has become the Focal Point for youth representation in the Southern Hemisphere, serving as a direct channel for youth dialogue with the UN.

This United Nations Youth Representatives election saw 12 participants in the Southern Hemisphere voting, and Zhang Liangyi achieved an overwhelming victory in the vote count.Fifty percent of the valid votes came from 22 youth organizations within the United Nations, and the other fifty percent were from youth representatives who voted in the final round.Yao-Liang Yeh received 22.7% of the votes from United Nations organizations, meaning about six organizations voted for Taiwan, while in the individual category, he secured 56.4%, far surpassing the second-place organization vote of 18.2% and individual vote of 12.2%.

Zhang Liangyi said: "After becoming a youth representative of the United Nations, we will use our actions to prove that we come from Taiwan, bring these experiences back to Taiwan, and pass them on in the long term."The passion and drive of Taiwan's youth are clearly something that makes all Taiwanese people proud


▲The passion and drive of young people in Taiwan are something to be proud of.(Photo provided by Leung Shou Dao)

[About YOUNGO]
A youth organization recognized under the United Nations UNFCCC, composed of young people from around the world. Its focal points are representatives from the northern and southern hemispheres, responsible for compiling information and opinions within the organization and passing them on to the United Nations.The representative from the Northern Hemisphere is British youth Jamie Peter, while the representative from the Southern Hemisphere is Taiwan’s Chang Liang-yi.

[About COP]
COP (Conference of Parties) is the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an annual meeting convened by the United Nations. It is attended by official representatives from various countries, and NGOs from around the world also participate as observers.The discussion framework focused on climate change, covering carbon emissions, carbon trading, food, water resources, and rainforest usage.

[About UNFCCC]
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty. Article 2 of the convention states, "The ultimate objective of this Convention and any related legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt is to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system."This level should be achieved within a timeframe sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.”