Thematic Ambassadors

At YNA, we believe in the power of peer learning and shared leadership. That’s why we’ve launched the Thematic Ambassadors pilot.

This initiative gives experienced alumni a more active role in guiding peers, sparking conversations, and enriching discussions in key negotiation tracks. Ambassadors act as go-to points for their track, helping members navigate technical details, stay updated, and feel confident engaging in negotiations.

For this first year, the opportunity was open only to alumni who completed the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme (CYNP) Fundamental and Advanced levels and gained hands-on COP experience.

Ambassadors will serve a one-year mandate and play a key role in shaping how our community learns, connects, and co-creates solutions. This is just the beginning! With your support, we hope to grow this pilot into a lasting structure that strengthens our collective impact across negotiation spaces.

Meet The 2026-2027 Ambassadors

Adiaratou Traore

Global Stocktake and NDCs

💡Adiaratou is an environmental science and engineering graduate from Mali with a strong interest in climate education and knowledge sharing. She attended COP29, and developed a growing interest in understanding how technological solutions can support climate action. Alongside her engagement in climate discussions, Adiaratou works as a university teacher, where she regularly supports students in navigating complex topics and building their understanding through dialogue and learning. As a Thematic Ambassador, she hopes to share her knowledge with peers and contribute to raising awareness about climate change, particularly among young people who may have limited access to information and educational resources.

📍Mali

🗣 French, Chinese, English

Ahmed Ag Mohamed

Adaptation

💡Ahmed is a young climate negotiator from Mali who focuses on adaptation and resilience in vulnerable regions. Having participated in COP29 and COP30, he followed negotiations on adaptation (NAPs and GGA) within the UNFCCC process. Coming from Timbuktu, the Sahel region, where droughts and desertification strongly affect communities, he is particularly motivated to bring local realities into global climate discussions. As a Thematic Ambassador, Ahmed hopes to promote knowledge sharing and encourage youth participation in adaptation negotiations while supporting peers interested in this track.

📍Mali

🗣 French and English

Asmau Muhammad

Loss and Damage

💡 Asmau is an alumna of the Climate Youth Negotiators Program (CYNP), where two years of training prepared her to navigate and simplify complex climate negotiations.

Having attended two UNFCCC COPs, she experienced firsthand the challenges of adapting to overwhelming environments and the growth that comes with finding one’s voice.

Today, she is passionate about helping others feel confident, included, and ready to participate. Her time supporting World Bank projects (ACReSAL and NEWMAP) as a Social and Livelihood Officer deepened her connection with communities. Asmau has worked directly with communities to ensure information is not just shared but truly understood.

As a Thematic Ambassador, she brings technical knowledge, lived experience, and empathy to create supportive spaces where peers can engage, learn, and thrive.

📍Nigeria

🗣 English, German (A1)

Cynthy Sandrina Hosea

Technology Development and Transfer

💡Cynthy brings a perspective from the Pacific region to the Technology Development and Transfer track. Coming from Vanuatu, a small island developing state highly vulnerable to climate change, she is particularly interested in how technology and capacity-building can support resilience and adaptation. Having attended COP29 and COP30, she gained firsthand exposure to the negotiation process and the technical discussions surrounding climate technologies. As a Thematic Ambassador, Cynthy hopes to help young negotiators better understand this complex thematic area and to encourage knowledge sharing while ensuring the perspectives of developing countries are well represented.

📍Vanuatu

🗣 Bislama, English and Basic French

Dina Qahtan

Agriculture

💡 Dina is a Yemeni climate negotiator focusing on the agriculture track within the UNFCCC process. As one of the few negotiators from Yemen following this theme, she has worked closely within negotiation rooms alongside the Arab Group and the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group, contributing to draft discussions and strengthening her understanding of the negotiation process. Beyond negotiations, Dina has experience facilitating international learning exchanges. Through a U.S. Embassy program, she coordinated collaboration between Yemeni and U.S. students, supporting discussions and managing online exchanges. As a Thematic Ambassador, she hopes to raise awareness around the agriculture track, expand networks, and help peers better understand and engage with this important area of the negotiations.

📍 Yemen

🗣 Arabic, English

Emmanuel Cerdas Prado

Mitigation

💡Emmanuel is a political scientist and youth climate negotiator who has participated in COP29, SB62, and COP30. Through these experiences, he has engaged with the mitigation negotiations while also supporting advisory and coordination roles within the process. Alongside his involvement in climate diplomacy, Emmanuel works in technical roles related to finance and project development and contributes to capacity-building initiatives. Motivated by a strong commitment to youth participation, he hopes to support peers by sharing insights and helping new negotiators better understand and navigate the mitigation track.

📍 Costa Rica

🗣 Spanish, English

Helena Branco Gouveia

Gender

💡Helena has followed the Gender and Climate Change negotiations across several UNFCCC sessions, including COP28, COP29, COP30, and SB62, supporting the Guatemalan delegation within the AILAC group. Her work has included analyzing negotiation texts and contributing to discussions around the Gender Action Plan. She is particularly interested in how negotiation outcomes translate into concrete implementation and policy change. As a Thematic Ambassador, Helena hopes to help peers better understand negotiation processes while fostering a collaborative space for learning and exchange within the Gender track.

📍Brazil

🗣 Portuguese, English, Spanish

Isidora Cubillos Ruiz

Gender

💡Isidora has been involved in the Gender negotiation track since 2024, gaining experience in the discussions shaping gender equality within climate governance. Through her participation in COP29 and COP30, she developed a deeper understanding of the negotiation dynamics in this thematic area. An alumna of the Youth Negotiators Academy, Isidora values the support she received when beginning her journey in climate negotiations and is motivated to give back to the community. As a Thematic Ambassador, she hopes to accompany new participants, helping them better understand the Gender track while building their confidence in the negotiation process.

📍Chile

🗣 English, Spanish & French

Leya Zgheib

Adaptation

💡 Leya has participated in multiple UNFCCC sessions, including COP27, COP28, COP29, and SB meetings, with a focus on adaptation and an expanding interest in climate finance.

An alumna of the Youth Negotiators Academy, she hopes to support new members by sharing insights while continuing to learn from their experiences.

Professionally, she has led stakeholder consultations for Lebanon’s NDC, NAP, and LT-LEDS, which strengthened her skills in guiding diverse groups and building consensus.

Experienced in facilitating group learning and managing online spaces, Leya is dedicated to creating environments where peers can exchange perspectives and grow together.

📍Lebanon

🗣 Arabic, French, English

Luciano Travella

Just Transition

💡Luciano has been closely involved in the development of the Just Transition agenda within the UNFCCC process. Since COP28, when the UAE Just Transition Work Programme was established, he has followed this topic on behalf of the Chilean delegation and later as coordinator for the AILAC regional group. Alongside his work in climate negotiations, Luciano has several years of experience in education, teaching natural sciences and civic education to students between the ages of 12 and 18. Passionate about the intersection between climate action and social justice, he hopes to support young negotiators interested in understanding how just transition connects climate policy with fairness, equity, and inclusive development.

📍Chile

🗣 Spanish, English

Mariluz Quiros Lopez

Adaptation

💡Mariluz has been involved in the adaptation negotiations through her national delegation and the AILAC regional group for COP20, SB62 and COP 30, particularly on discussions related to National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). Her engagement in these processes has given her practical experience in regional coordination and negotiation dynamics. An alumna of the Youth Negotiators Academy, Mariluz has remained actively involved in the community and is motivated to support new participants. As a Thematic Ambassador, she hopes to help peers better understand the adaptation negotiations while strengthening collaboration within the youth negotiator community.

📍Costa Rica

🗣 English and Spanish

Michelle Bidima

Action for Climate Empowerment

💡 Michelle combines youth leadership, climate negotiation, and community education in her work on climate governance. She has represented youth at UNFCCC COP28 and COP29, CBD COP16, and SBI-4, and is co-founder of the Youth Climate Initiative as well as co-coordinator of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network in Burkina Faso.

With a background as a researcher in sustainable agroecosystems and environmental protection, Michelle integrates scientific and technical knowledge with practical strategies to empower youth. She has led workshops, trainings, consultations, field projects, awareness campaigns, and advocacy initiatives, promoting active youth participation in climate and biodiversity governance.

She is dedicated to creating inclusive platforms where young people can learn, contribute, and take leadership roles. As a Thematic Ambassador, she is committed to advancing climate education and engagement, particularly in Africa, while fostering a vibrant and informed community for Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE).

📍Burkina Faso

🗣 French, English, Mooré

Noela Dorice Ouedraogo Guetwende

Transparency

💡Dorice, a member of the National Youth Parliament for water in Burkina Faso (PNJBE) has always been passionate about mentorship and supporting others in building knowledge within the climate negotiation space. She is particularly interested in financial and institutional processes that shape international climate discussions. She was part of her country delegation at COP29 and COP30 where she showed commitment and engagement during negotiations. Through her work as water and environmental engineer organizing panels, training, and awareness activities, she has gained experience facilitating discussions and engaging communities in both English and French. As a Thematic Ambassador, Dorice hopes to help peers better understand transparency discussions while creating welcoming spaces where young negotiators can learn and exchange ideas.

📍Burkina Faso

🗣 English, French

Rahma Adel Al-Rafayia

Global Stocktake and NDCs

💡Rahma combines academic research with climate advocacy. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on water and environmental systems, bringing a technical perspective to climate policy discussions. After attending COP29 and studying the basics of climate negotiations, she developed a strong interest in the Global Stocktake and the role of NDCs in strengthening global climate ambition. As a Thematic Ambassador, Rahma hopes to support peers in understanding how scientific knowledge, national commitments, and international negotiations connect to shape global climate action.

📍Jordan

🗣 English & Arabic

Salimata Doumbia

Article 6

💡Salimata is a climate policy professional with a strong interest in climate diplomacy, international cooperation, and sustainable development in Africa. Her work focuses on global climate governance, natural resource management, and the policy frameworks that shape equitable and effective climate action.

With a background in international relations, economics, and development, she engages in policy discussions related to climate negotiations, climate finance, and emerging mechanisms such as cooperative approaches and carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. She is particularly interested in how these mechanisms can support ambitious climate action while ensuring environmental integrity, transparency, and sustainable development benefits.

Salimata is committed to making complex negotiation processes and technical policy discussions more accessible to emerging professionals and young negotiators. Through dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration, she aims to contribute to strengthening the next generation of climate leaders.

Her broader interests include strengthening Africa’s voice in global governance and advancing policy solutions that align climate ambition, economic resilience, and international cooperation.

📍Mali

🗣 French, English, Lingala, Bambara

Veronica Belinda Nyakecho

Capacity Building

💡Belinda is a sociologist and Social Safeguards Practitioner working with the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment under the Investing in Forests and Protected Areas for Climate Smart Development Project (IFPA-CD). Her work focuses on translating technical processes into accessible discussions and supporting inclusive participation among communities and institutions. She has participated in COP29 and COP30 as part of the Ugandan delegation and has actively supported peer learning within the youth negotiator community, including sharing negotiation updates and facilitating informal discussions. As a Thematic Ambassador, Belinda hopes to strengthen knowledge sharing and create supportive spaces where emerging negotiators can build confidence and engage meaningfully in the capacity-building negotiations.

📍Uganda

🗣 English