In October 2019, we helped facilitate the“Towards COP 21: Youth Event” in Naples. The event was organized by UNEP/MAP andthe Italian Ministry of Environment, Land andSea, in collaboration with the Municipality of Napoli and the Institute for Studies onthe Mediterranean of the National ResearchCouncil (ISMed/CNR), supported by SDSN Youth Mediterranean.The event enhanced the role of youngpeople aged 18-25 in the protection of the Mediterranean marine environment and inthe achievement of the UN Agenda 2030 inthe region. Messages from the youth were presented at the plenary session ofCOP21 of the Barcelona Convention. Proposals were then developed to bepresented to the Italian Ministry for theEnvironment, Land and Sea (IMELS).