Beyond Presence: Reflections from a young negotiator from Sahel at her third COP
.png)
By Michelle Gaëlle Simeone BIDIMA (Burkina Faso)
When I learned that I would attend COP30 as part of the Burkina Faso delegation, a familiar mix of emotions returned—excitement, responsibility, and a sense of stepping once again into a space that has shaped me profoundly over the past three years. But this time, something was different. Belém was not just another conference; it felt like a new stage in my evolution as a negotiator, where experience, training, and personal conviction finally converged. Walking into COP30, I knew that I was no longer there simply to observe or contribute, but to take on a real share of responsibility.
My journey in climate diplomacy began in 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, a moment that opened my eyes to the complexity of international climate governance. I spent that first COP absorbing as much as I could—listening, observing, trying to understand how decisions are crafted and how power circulates within negotiation rooms. It was overwhelming, but it planted something essential in me: the determination to return, better prepared and more confident.
A year later, at COP29 in Baku, that seed began to grow. For the first time, I was able to contribute directly to negotiation work, supporting the lead negotiator in drafting interventions and working closely with delegations from other countries.
One of the defining moments of that COP was my involvement in shaping the proposal for the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work online portal. Seeing a draft I helped develop adopted as a basis for the portal’s structure revealed something I had not fully realized before: youth contributions can shape real, tangible outcomes—when youth are properly trained and trusted.
Those experiences, combined with the training and support provided by the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme (CYNP), transformed my confidence. The Fundamentals cohort in 2023, the Advanced cohort in 2024, the Alumni cohort in 2025 and even modules rooted in high-level negotiation theory, such as those from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard, all gave me the tools to navigate a world that once felt impenetrable. They made COP30 not an intimidating horizon, but a space where my voice deserved to be heard.
Arriving in Belém, at the gateway of the Amazon, was symbolic. The Amazon and the Sahel could not be more geographically distant, yet they share deep vulnerabilities shaped by climate change. Both regions know what it means to fight for resilience. Both depend on ecosystems that are under severe pressure. Both need global decisions to move beyond words and toward meaningful action.
Carrying the perspectives of Burkina Faso into that space felt profoundly significant. At COP30, I followed two negotiation tracks: Agriculture under the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work, and Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE). These tracks resonate with my identity as a young negotiator, as a Sahelian woman, and as someone committed to community resilience, food security, and the power of knowledge.
But COP30 was not only about formal negotiations. Some of the most meaningful contributions happen in the spaces around the negotiation rooms. I had the privilege of moderating and speaking at several high-level sessions, engaging with partners across sectors, and amplifying youth perspectives on agriculture, soil health, climate mobility, and just transitions. These moments reminded me that diplomacy is not only about negotiating text; it is about dialogue, storytelling, and building alliances that make the process more human and more grounded in reality.
Now, at my third COP, I see the system with different eyes. I understand the slowness, the complexities, and the tensions, not as barriers, but as inherent features of a process where 190 countries attempt to shape a shared future. I also see the immense responsibility that comes with being part of the delegation.
Following text is one thing; understanding how to defend national positions, how to build trust, and how to navigate alliances is another. These are not skills one acquires overnight. They require preparation, mentorship, and space to grow.
This is why investing in young negotiators is not optional. It is essential. Throughout my journey, I have met countless young people who are motivated, knowledgeable, and ready to contribute but who lack funding, access, or institutional support. Without training and financial resources, youth participation becomes symbolic. With them, youth participation becomes transformative.
Thanks to the support of the Youth Negotiators Academy and CARE Denmark, I am living proof of that transformation, proof that when young women from the Sahel are given the chance to step into decision-making spaces, they do not just participate; they contribute, influence, and reshape conversations that were not designed with them in mind.COP30 offered me clarity: clarity about my role, clarity about the limitations of the system, and clarity about the kind of leadership I want to embody.
I return home with a renewed sense of purpose, to support other young negotiators, strengthen national coordination, contribute to shaping negotiation strategies ahead of the Bonn Sessions, and continue amplifying the priorities of communities whose lives are most affected by climate change.
Three COPs later, I have learned that youth are not just the future, they are the present. And when we are trained, trusted, and supported, we are not only capable of navigating the process; we are capable of transforming it.
This is only the beginning.