UNDP organized a Regional Advocacy Lab in Chișinău from 14–16 November, bringing together young leaders and civil society representatives from Eastern Neighbourhood countries to advance inclusive and locally grounded green transition reforms. Armenia was represented at the UN Regional Acceleration Laboratory held in Moldova by Janeta Hovsepian, Naira Karapetyan, Ani Yuzbashyan, and Generation Nexus member Tatevik Lazaryan.
The Lab drew on UNDP’s recent analysis, Strengthening Information Integrity and Inclusive Communication for a Just Green Transition in the Eastern Neighbourhood, which highlighted gaps in top-down climate communication and identified opportunities for youth engagement through activism and EU integration.
“The biggest challenge was bringing together participants from very different contexts, where the idea of a just transition isn’t equally understood or established. We had to bridge those gaps while also navigating diverse profiles, backgrounds, and levels of experience. Creating a shared language and direction in such a mixed group was essential, because without that, any regional narrative or action would fall flat,” said Josip Ivanovic, Information Integrity and Youth Engagement Specialist at UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub.
Participants explored dominant narratives such as economic anxiety and apathy and collaboratively developed inclusive counter-narratives. UNDP experts conducted sessions on fact-checking and debunking disinformation, training participants in responsible digital communication.
The final day was dedicated to peer learning, coalition-building, and advancing initiatives to the policy level. Teams presented their campaign concepts, received mentor feedback, and made commitments for joint actions. According to Josip Ivanovic: “The most meaningful outcome was the emergence of a genuine alliance, a coalition that didn’t feel forced but grew naturally over the three days. You could see real inspiration and momentum building, with participants already shaping ideas they want to take forward together. What we left with wasn’t just outputs, but a community that’s ready for authentic action beyond the event.”
The Lab also fostered regional knowledge exchange, including best practices from the EU. Experts from Slovenia’s Centre for Just Transition shared insights on local partnerships and inclusive communication, while Danish youth activists demonstrated successful climate advocacy models.
As a result, locally tailored campaign concepts, draft policy proposals, social media content, and strengthened regional networks of youth activists and CSOs were produced. The Lab emphasized the importance of equipping youth with tools to combat disinformation, engage diverse communities, and advance fairness in the green transition.
Ecolur volunteer Tatev Lazaryan
November 24, 2025 at 16:28