The New Generation
The New Generation program is a joint initiative between the Climate Leadership Initiative and the L&DC. The aim of the program is to empower young negotiators from the global South to advocate for support for addressing loss and damage for their countries and the households and communities within them. The New Generation is an inclusive program which values diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Based on our extensive experience working on Loss and Damage and supporting negotiators from developing countries, we have identified three drivers of negotiation success:

1. Technical skills (in climate science and, climate leadership, law, Loss and Damage, climate finance, political affairs, among others and other sectors);

2. Soft skills (communication, confidence, networking and partnership-building); and; 

3. Mental health and wellbeing.

We deliver the programme through thematic workshops, coaching calls and mentorship. The fellows are also integrated into the L&DC where they are supported by a tribe of mentors and engage in the collective work on Loss and Damage. The first cohort of 12 fellows and the second cohort of six fellows are all actively engaged in the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). six fellows, all of whom follow Loss and Damage who are each paired with both a senior and a peer mentor.
See concept note here:
This is a project which started at COP25 in Madrid 2019. At that meeting of the countries who are members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement, the Santiago Network for averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change (Santiago Network) was established.

The Santiago Network offered hope to frontline communities in the climate crisis that a body had been created to help them address loss and damage. This body would make sure there was action and support being provided on the ground in their communities including helping them access finance, technology and build their capacity to address these impacts. This was in the context of a world where climate impacts are increasing, and this is being felt by the most vulnerable people in our society who are the least responsible for climate change. These impacts are rapidly becoming worse.


This project started under the banner of the Loss and Damage Collaboration, an informal group of practitioners, researchers, activists and decision makers from both the global North and South who have expertise on a range of topics relating to the need to address loss and damage. It had a number of projects, including the Santiago Network Project which developed a committed group from a range of backgrounds led by Doreen Stabinsky and Heidi White who were concerned that the Santiago Network might become no more than a website.

The Santiago Network Working Group, as it was then called, has since been tireless in seeking to steer the negotiations on the Santiago Network from something that had become a website to something that had a dedicated negotiations stream under the UNFCCC, and a comprehensive decision with dedicated finance, agreed form and functions and a process for review. This included publications; advocacy e.g. interventions at meetings of negotiators on the Santiago Network and participation in and chairing of meetings of the Adaptation and Loss and Damage Friends Group which is led by the UK COP26 Presidency team; as well as coordination, capacity building, and support on the ground at the COP26 negotiations in Glasgow, United Kingdom in November 2021.

At COP26 there was positive progress, and the work of the Santiago Network Project will now shift to the 2022 negotiations where financial arrangements will be further elaborated and a decision will be adopted regarding the form or ‘institutional arrangements’ of the Santiago Network to finalise the decision to operationalise the Santiago Network and enable it to provide the help that vulnerable communities need to survive.

The Santiago Network Project is open to members from any background. It is important that our input into the negotiations is well-informed and based on the best available advice. We are particularly concerned to involve marginalised groups whose voices are not always heard to ensure the best outcome possible for the negotiations. We cannot be perfect but we can be ambitious and try as much as possible to learn from the past so that the assistance that is urgently needed is provided. These communities need help now and we need to ensure that the Santiago Network becomes effectively operationalised at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

For enquiries directly related to the Santiago Network Project please contact the Project Lead heidimareewhite [@] gmail.com
Support Team
Coordinator
Justina Aurea Belo
Justina is the coordinator of the New Generation under the Climate Leadership Initiative with over five years of experience in UNFCCC negotiations. In her role as a negotiator, she supports the Least Developed Countries Group (LDC Group) coordinators on Loss and Damage. Justina also leads the implementation of national programmes under the Montreal Protocol, where she works closely with both UNEP and UNDP regionally, in overseeing the national compliance strategy as well as developing and enforcing policies and legislation to phasing-out Ozone Depleting Substances and phasing-down high global warming potential substances in cooling sector.
Co-Coordinator
Honorine Isingizwe
Honorine is a climate leader and actively involved in the climate negotiations since 2021. She is a 2021 climate ambassador of Global Youth Climate Network; an Initiative of the World Bank Group’s Youth2Youth community. Honorine is a member of the first cohort of the New Generation and a co-coordinator of the second cohort. She is very driven and her commitment to finding and offering solutions to communities’ problems with a focus on environmental sustainability and youth empowerment.
Coordination support
Hyacinthe Niyitegeka
Hyacinthe Niyitegeka is a climate negotiator and a member of the first cohort of the New Generation Program. In her role as a coordinator at the Loss and Damage Collaboration, she provides support to the fellows of the New Generation.
Advisor
ERIN ROBERTS
Erin is passionate about empowering young climate leaders from the global South. She supports the New Generation in her role leading both the Loss and Damage Collaboration and the Climate Leadership Initiative. Erin provides guidance and mentorship to the New Generation support team and supports the mentors and fellows as needed.
Advisor
Camilla More
Camilla is an Australian lawyer who has been following the UN climate negotiations closely since 2017. She works in IIED’s Global Climate Law, Policy and Governance Team to support the Least Developed Countries Group achieve equitable and ambitious outcomes in UN climate negotiations, particularly those related to loss and damage. Camilla passionately hates jargon, but sometimes can’t help it. Camilla provides guidance and mentorship to the New Generation support team.
Advisor
Heidi White
Heidi is an Australian lawyer and independent consultant. She undertakes various roles supporting both government and non-government actors to make progress in the UNFCCC negotiations on Loss and Damage. She has particular expertise in the Santiago Network negotiations, which she sees as an essential opportunity to enhance action and support for developing countries in addressing loss and damage in their communities. She was previously an associate at the Federal Court of Australia.
Capacity Building Co-Lead
Alpha Amadou Diallo
Alpha is a mining engineer with a focus on environment and occupational health and safety in the workplace. He is certified in impact investment, public management, civic leadership, and entrepreneurship. In his role managing projects focuses on environmental impact assessment and conservation. Currently, he is an Associate Partner and Project Manager for Greendeveeve Sarl and is also the Executive Director of Greentransformation2050, which focuses on ensuring environmental integrity and sustainable development in light of climate change. Alpha began following the UNFCCC process in 2022 and focuses on Loss and Damage. He is currently coordinating the work of the first cohort.
Capacity Building Co-Lead
adeline cyuzuzo
Adeline is a water and environmental engineer passionate about climate change and sustainable development. She coordinates the storytelling working group of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC) and has followed the climate negotiations since 2022. She focuses on climate finance.
The New Generation: Second Cohort  
In late 2023 we welcomed a second cohort of six young negotiators to the New Generation program. All six of these individuals follow Loss and Damage and are representing their countries at COP 28.
Dominican Republic
Ana Nicolle Javier
Ana Nicolle Javier is a 22-year-old activist from the Dominican Republic. She holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business from Universidad APEC. She was a finalist in the COP Operation Program Dominican Republic 2023 by The Climate Reality Project and enhanced her skills through Climate Negotiation Training at the Program On Negotiation at Harvard University. Ana's leadership extends to her role as Deputy Director of COP 26 within the XIII International Model of United Nations (MINUME), by the Ministry of Education. Currently, she serves as Project Assistant at the Global Green Growth Institute, contributing to green initiatives. Ana has been a Youth Consultant for the UNFPA Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) and actively volunteers in the Ministry of Education's Educational Leadership Program. As Vice-President of the Soy Ecológico Reciclo Foundation (SER), she focuses on ecological preservation and recycling. Notably, Ana was also a finalist for the National Youth Award for Preserving and Promoting Natural Resources in 2020.
Uganda
Hamira Kobusingye
Hamira Kobusingye, a Ugandan climate justice activist and founder of Climate Justice Africa, is a key figure in advocating for sustainable development and gender equality in the climate change space. She focuses on the disproportionate impact of climate change on women, especially in frontline communities. Hamira leverages her strong social media presence to foster discussions on climate change and action. Her initiatives include skill-sharing programs empowering women climate activists and promoting eco-friendly briquettes in Uganda, creating sustainable incomes and reducing fossil fuel reliance. She also leads educational campaigns on climate impacts and advocates for issues like loss and damage, and climate debt. Hamira's efforts have gained international recognition, amplifying African voices in the climate crisis.
Tunisia
Malek Romdhane
Malek is a young climate negotiator and Sustainability Consultant with a strong academic background. She holds a Master's degree in Sustainability Management and Innovation from the University of Westminster. Additionally, Malek is a graduate of the 60th Graduate Study Program (GSP60) of the United Nations office in Geneva, where she furthered her expertise in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She is passionate about advocating for a future that is both environmentally responsible and socially equitable. Malek's guiding principle in life is encapsulated in her motto: "My dream is to live in a world where human rights and climate justice are not mere slogans." This reflects her dedication to a vision of a world where fundamental rights are respected, and environmental considerations are integrated into the fabric of daily life.
Malaysia
Farhana Shukor
Farhana Shukor is a Malaysian climate advocate and a co-founder of bumii, a Malaysian youth-led startup focusing on facilitating climate action. Her experience in a hard-to-abate industry coupled with her background in risk management and insurance informs her approach to finding climate solutions and navigating stakeholder engagements. She tracks loss and damage finance-related negotiations and issues, having attended UNFCCC’s COP26, COP27, and SB58.
Argentina
Bruno Sirote
Bruno is a proactive activist from Argentina with a passion for storytelling. He became interested in climate change and the environment at a very young age, and learnt how cruel the consequences of climate change can be in the worst possible way, when his city of La Plata flooded back in 2013, leaving dozens of deaths. In 2018 he started doing activism in the human rights agenda, focusing on sexual and reproductive rights and in 2021 he founded a chapter of Youth for Climate in his hometown. Since then, he's participated of several international and national events and campaigns on environment, climate and human rights such as the RCOY LAC 2021, The Escazú COP2, COP27, The global forum on human rights, the 7th workshop for the development of the GGA, and many other events. Besides this, he has a communication project on instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn and is part of Jóvenes por el Clima Argentina, the Global Youth Coalition and YOUNGO's Communication and Adaptation Working Groups.
Fiji
Filimone Tuivanualevu
Filimone, from the Fiji Islands, plays a pivotal role in Climate Change Policy development and multilateral negotiations for the Fiji Government. His work emphasises adaptation and resilience building, with a strong focus on nature-based solutions and sustainable development, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Filimone is also deeply invested in exploring innovative and enabling financing mechanisms to support these crucial initiatives. His efforts are key in mitigating climate impacts in Fiji, offering valuable insights and strategies that can be applied to similar island nations. Through his dedication, Filimone is helping to shape a resilient and sustainable future for SIDS in the face of the global climate crisis.
The New Generation: First Cohort  
In early 2020 we began working with a small cohort of five young negotiators which has grown to a cohort of 11 negotiators and one activist. These young climate leaders follow a range of issues from Action for Climate Empowerment, adaptation, agriculture, Article 6, climate finance, Loss and Damage, mitigation and transparency. They have all gone on to assume leadership roles within their organisations with some now fully integrated into the core teams of negotiating groups. Many are now peer mentors to the second cohort of fellows.
Ethiopia
Yared Abera
A Global Youth Climate Leader and founder, Yared is also the Director of The Youth Print, an Ethiopian youth-led civil society organisation creating innovative youth projects to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recently, he joined the World Resource Institute as a Research Analyst. Yared has followed the climate negotiations since 2017 and focuses on Loss and Damage.
Timor-Leste
Justina Aurea Belo
Justina is the coordinator of the New Generation under the Climate Leadership Initiative with over five years of experience in UNFCCC negotiations. In her role as a negotiator, she supports the Least Developed Countries Group (LDC Group) coordinators on Loss and Damage. Justina also leads the implementation of national programmes under the Montreal Protocol, where she works closely with both UNEP and UNDP regionally, in overseeing the national compliance strategy as well as developing and enforcing policies and legislation to phasing-out Ozone Depleting Substances and phasing-down high global warming potential substances in cooling sector.
Rwanda
adeline cyuzuzo
Chief Operating Officer (COO) at The Green Protector and coordinator of storytelling working group of the LDYC, Adeline is driven by change and aspires to achieve climate justice by raising her voice and advocating for frontline communities. She has followed the climate negotiations since 2022 and focuses on climate finance.
Guinea
Alpha Amadou Diallo
Alpha is a mining engineer with a focus on environment and occupational health and safety in the workplace. He is certified in impact investment, public management, civic leadership and entrepreneurship. In his role managing projects focuses on environmental impact assessment and conservation. Currently he is Associate Partner and Project Manager for Greendeveeve Sarl and is also the Executive Director of Greentransformation2050, which focuses on ensuring environmental integrity and sustainable development in light of climate change. Alpha began following the UNFCCC process in 2022 and focuses on Loss and Damage.
Philippines
Jefferson Estela
A climate activist and community organiser as well as a visual artist, Jefferson is from the Philippines. He aims to humanise activism through storytelling to connect people to the environment. He co-founded Youth Strike 4 Climate Philippines, to empower the Filipino youth to act against the climate crisis and demand climate justice. Jefferson is currently Southeast Asia and Pacific Coordinator of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC).
Nepal
Prakriti Koirala
A climate action activist, Prakriti is working with the political leaders of Nepal with the aim of making the climate agenda a political and national priority. She is a researcher and a post-graduate environmental scientist. She is also a founding member of 'Land our Future' which is a youth-led movement to combat land degradation and climate change. Prakriti has been following the climate negotiations since 2021 and focuses on Loss and Damage.
Rwanda
Honorine Isingizwe
An environmentalist and climate scientist, Honorine is the co-founder and Executive Director of a youth-led organisation called Young Volunteers for the Environment (YVE) Rwanda; and a 2021 climate ambassador with Global Youth Climate Network; an initiative of World Bank Group’s Youth2Youth community. Honorine has followed the climate negotiations since 2021 and focuses on agriculture.
Rwanda
Sandra Isingizwe
Sandra is a community mobilizer at a youth-led NGO, The Green Protector, part of LDYC’s training working group and a junior negotiator following the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) article since 2021 at COP 26.
Malawi
Brenda Mwale
Brenda works with Green Girls Platform in Malawi, a female-led organisation focusing on women and girls in Climate Change. She has recently started working with UNICEF as a climate change youth advocacy consultant. Brenda is part of LDYC’s advocacy working group. She has followed the climate negotiations since 2021 and focuses on Loss and Damage.
Rwanda
Eva Peace MUKAYIRANGA
An environmentalist and co-founder of LDYC where she serves as the coordinator of the training working group and its programs, Eva is also the co-coordinator of L&DC’s finance working group and the Finance Officer for The Green Protector. She has followed the climate negotiations since 2018 and focuses on climate finance.
Rwanda
Hyacinthe Niyitegeka
Hyacinthe is a water scientist with experience working on climate policy in different contexts. Under the UNFCCC negotiations Hyacinthe follows Loss and Damage with a particular focus on the Santiago Network. She is the  coordinator of the Loss and Damage Collaboration and is co-founder of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC).
Vanuatu
Willy Missack
Willy works with the Vanuatu government on policy-making and advisory on disaster risk reduction and climate change programs, projects, initiatives, and activities by providing the CSO view to improve national climate change and DRR policy.
Rwanda
ineza umuhoza grace
Ineza is the founder of the youth-led Rwandan non-profit The Green Protector where she serves as an Executive Officer, and is the co-founder of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition (LDYC) where she serves as Global Coordinator. Ineza has followed the climate negotiations since 2018.
2024
2023