Participants

The participants of this year’s Youth Forum will be young adults aged 18 to 28, representing World Heritage sites such as the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (Peru), Sian Ka’an (Mexico), Banc d’Arguin National Park (Mauritania), Dja Faunal Reserve (Cameroon), Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Vietnam), Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area (China), the Solomon Islands and the Philippines, as well as sites in the host country Japan, India and Germany.

Selection of participants will be conducted with the help of GTZ-projects as well as IUCN’s and UNESCO’s national partners and other partner organizations.

Ideally, the youth representatives form a tandem in each country. One participant will have a direct connection with the natural environment of the selected World Heritage site – for instance, as a young farmer, fisherman, shell collector, rubber tapper or nut gatherer. The second participant from each country would either have a close connection to the region – researching, for instance, its ecosystems, guiding tourists, being a park warden – or have a profound knowledge about the topics linked to World Heritage Sites or climate change in their country.

Please find all the portraits of participants here