There are moments in an organisation’s journey that remind you exactly why you started. For Starlight Foundation and our partners at Nalike Africa, receiving our official endorsement letter from YOUNGO on 6th April 2026 was one of those moments.
YOUNGO, the official Children and Youth Constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has approved our joint application to host the Local Conference of Youth Ghana 2026 (LCOY Ghana 2026). This endorsement confirms Ghana as one of a select group of countries around the world officially recognised to host a Local COY this year, in the lead-up to the global Conference of Youth (COY21) and COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.
We are proud, and we are ready to get to work.
What Is LCOY Ghana 2026?
LCOY Ghana 2026 is a national, virtual, youth-led conference on climate change, scheduled to take place in August 2026. The decision to hold the conference virtually is a deliberate one. We want to reach young people from every corner of Ghana, not just those in major cities, but across all regions, regardless of location, economic background or circumstance. By going virtual, we lower every possible barrier to participation and ensure that the diversity of Ghana’s young people is genuinely reflected in the conversation.
The conference will bring together young people to learn, connect, and develop concrete recommendations on climate change at the national level. These recommendations will form a National Youth Statement that will be formally submitted to YOUNGO and incorporated into the Global Youth Statement, which is presented at COP31. In short, what Ghana’s young people say at LCOY Ghana 2026 will travel all the way to the international negotiating table.
Why This Matters to Starlight Foundation
At Starlight Foundation, we exist to transform lives and create impact. Our work is rooted in empowering street-connected children and young people in Ghana through quality education, youth empowerment programmes, advocacy and research, healthcare and legal support, and vocational training. Every programme we run is built on a single conviction: that every young person deserves the opportunity to shape their own future.
Climate change is not a distant or abstract threat. It is already reshaping lives across Ghana and across the African continent. The communities most affected are often the most marginalised, the same communities where we work every day. Flooding, food insecurity, displacement and extreme heat do not spare vulnerable children and young people. They are on the frontline of a crisis they did not create.
LCOY Ghana 2026 is where the two threads of our work converge. It is an opportunity to ensure that the voices of Ghana’s young people, particularly those from underserved communities, are not just heard within our borders but amplified at the highest levels of international climate policy.
We Are Calling on Partners, Funders and Experts
A conference of this scale and ambition requires a community of people who believe in it. We are actively looking for three groups of people to join us.
To organisations and institutions who share our commitment to youth empowerment and climate action, we want to explore partnerships that are meaningful and mutually beneficial. Whether you bring networks, platforms, technical expertise or logistical support, there is a genuine role for you in making LCOY Ghana 2026 a success.
To donors and funders, one of the conditions of YOUNGO’s endorsement is that LCOY Ghana 2026 must be completely free of charge for every participant. No registration fees, no participation fees. Your funding will go directly towards making that possible, from platform infrastructure and facilitation to participant outreach and communications across the country.
To climate experts, policymakers, scientists, practitioners and advocates, we are building a programme that will genuinely stretch and inspire Ghana’s young people. If you have knowledge and experience in areas such as climate science, environmental policy, climate finance, loss and damage, adaptation or youth advocacy, we would love to hear from you. We are looking for speakers and facilitators who are willing to invest their expertise in the next generation of climate leaders.
An Invitation to Stand With Ghana’s Youth
The YOUNGO LCOY Working Group has extended their endorsement as a warm invitation to potential partners and funders to support what they describe as a highly qualified team. We do not take that trust lightly, and we intend to honour it fully.
If you are ready to be part of this, please reach out to us directly or visit us at www.starlightfoundationgh.org. For enquiries related to the YOUNGO LCOY programme, you can also contact the LCOY Working Group at lcoywg@gmail.com.
Ghana’s young people have ideas, demands and solutions worth hearing. LCOY Ghana 2026 is the platform, and this is the moment. Let us build it together.
