20 October 2010: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Centre, along with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Tsukuba University and the German Technical Corporation (GTZ), are organizing the Go4BioDiv International Youth Forum under the theme “Our Treasures at Risk – World Heritage Sites in Times of Climate Change.”

The Forum, which is being held from 16-29 October 2010, at Mt Fuji and Nagoya, Japan, is taking place in parallel to the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the CBD. The forum aims to involve the younger generation in the decision-making process and present their experience in biodiversity conservation. It brings together 34 young adults representing 25 natural World Heritage sites around the world to learn and exchange views about biodiversity, World Heritage and climate change, and to prepare their participation at COP 10.

The Go4BioDiv advocates are calling on the world community to act now in order to save their World Heritage sites and all their treasures. The Forum is taking place within the framework of the UN-International Year of Biodiversity, the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures and the International Year of Youth. [UNESCO Press Release]