• ‘Green Jobs for Youth – Online Training and Mentoring’ is the inaugural program within Dubai Cares’ climate and education thematic focus area, which aims to position education and skilling as key to climate action

Dubai, UAE: In its effort to champion education transformation for climate action, Dubai Cares, a civil society organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC), signed a new partnership with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC) to launch the ‘Green Jobs for Youth – Online Training and Mentoring’ program. With the addition of this new program, Dubai Cares expanded its programmatic portfolio as a key step to place education at the heart of the global climate and development agenda.

The MoU was signed at the Dubai Cares offices by His Excellency Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, and His Excellency Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, in the presence of Monika Froehler, Chief Executive Officer of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. The announcement follows Dubai Cares’ recent partnership with the incoming COP28 UAE Presidency to collaborate on a suite of climate education outcomes for COP28, where the UAE-based global philanthropic organization will host the second edition of its RewirEd Global Education Summit, to position education as a key solution for climate action, with youth being at the center of the transformation. 

Showcasing both the organizations’ efforts to support the COP28 in making this year’s COP, a COP of Action, the partnership reflects Dubai Cares and the BKMC’s commitment to strengthening the integration of climate into education through a collaborative and action-oriented programmatic approach.  

The new program will work towards developing the potential of youth as leaders who are proactively contributing to climate action through a full understanding of the crisis, and their personal role in driving positive climate actions. The program will mentor and support young talent towards aligning their individual skills and aptitudes with career paths in the climate space that enables them to fulfill their true potential, while also contributing to innovative climate solutions that can accelerate the transition to a green economy.

Commenting on the announcement, H.E. Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, said: “During my tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations, in 2015, we adopted the Sustainable Development Goals and signed the Paris Climate Agreement among more than 190 countries. Under these two frameworks, universal education rights and the future of the planet were essential to my mandate. Today, as climate hazards such as extreme droughts and floods destroy the livelihoods of families around the world, education becomes increasingly inaccessible, unaffordable, and non-inclusive. As the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens we are looking forward to working with such a key partner as Dubai Cares to showcase how crucial education is to understand the global and personal implications of climate change, the potential that lies in green jobs while empowering youth towards climate action.”

Highlighting the significance and long-term impact of the partnership, H.E. Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, said: “Youth are the biggest assets to solve the most complex issues facing humanity, especially climate change. By investing in the education, skilling and mentorship of youth as climate actors, our partnership with the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens aims to create meaningful opportunities for youth to engage with the climate sector more actively and purposefully, as well as prepare them to lead the transition to a greener economy. We look forward to working with the BKMC to unlock the untapped potential of youth in implementing new solutions, driving policy, and building the foundation of a green future for all.”

Dubai Cares’ commitment will be directed towards the program’s three main components, namely an online course that leverages the power of technology to empower students with green skills; a mentoring element that connects youth with relevant professionals in the green job sector, and a policy recommendation document that will provide decision-makers with access to information that can push policies focused on involving more youth in green jobs.

The program aims to directly benefit a total of 10,000 young people (14-20 years of age) enrolled in the course. The program will also prepare a cadre of 45 mentees who will work on SDG Micro-Projects, which are initiatives created and implemented by BKMC fellows, mentees and scholars. These micro-projects aim to tackle one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals on a local, national, or international level. In addition, the program’s online course will also indirectly benefit 277,980 individuals, including parents of the enrolled youth, job providers, policy makers and the public.

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About Dubai Cares: 

Since its inception in 2007, Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has been working towards providing children and youth in developing countries with access to quality education through the design and funding of programs that aim to be impactful, sustainable and scalable. To date, the UAE-based global philanthropic organization has successfully launched education programs reaching over 21 million beneficiaries in 60 developing countries.

Dubai Cares plays a key role in helping achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which aims to ensure inclusive and quality education for all, and promote lifelong learning by 2030, by supporting programs in early childhood development, access to quality primary and secondary education, technical and vocational education and training for youth as well as a particular focus on education in emergencies and protracted crises. Moreover, Dubai Cares adopts a strategic approach to improve student enrollment and learning outcomes through an integrated school health and nutrition model that is made up of school-based deworming activities, school feeding, and WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) in schools.

Dubai Cares is a civil society organization formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC), as well as a registered non-government organization under IACAD, the charitable activities regulator in Dubai. The UAE-based global philanthropic organization is authorized to raise funds through direct donations and fundraising campaigns, as well as process all permit approvals with IACAD.

Volunteerism is a powerful tool to Dubai Cares in order to engage people in tackling development challenges. Dubai Cares rallies the UAE wider community through a large spectrum of volunteering and awareness initiatives that are linked to its global mandate.

To learn more, please visit www.dubaicares.ae

About Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens:

The Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens’ mission is to foster leadership for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement by inspiring current leaders and empowering the next generation of changemakers. Working with governments, civil society, academia, and international organizations the BKMC has so far reached more than 770,000 people around the world.

Celebrating its fifth-year founding anniversary this year, the BKMC conducts its work through advocating for governmental policymaking with current leaders on global issues such as sustainable development, climate action, gender justice, and transformative education while offering direct opportunities to young changemakers to amplify their voices and equip them with SDG knowledge, 21st century skills and global citizenship values.

The Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, established in January 2018, is a Quasi-International Organization located in Vienna, Austria. The Centre is co-chaired by Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the UN, and by Heinz Fischer, 11th President of the Republic of Austria.

For more information please visit: www.bankimooncentre.org