Fathima Shamla Mohammed Saleem
Founder, President & Convenor Global Youth Climate Connect
Fathima Shamla Saleem is an international development practitioner, consultant and social impact professional specializing in youth engagement, climate governance and sustainable development, with over a decade of experience across international development, multilateral policy processes, environmental governance and strategic stakeholder engagement. She has been a National Youth Delegate to the UNFCCC since COP27 and has held several leading roles within YOUNGO, the Children & Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC, including Contact Point for the NDC & Global Stocktake Working Group, Admin & GAU Global Coordinator of COY20, Country Focal for COY17 & 18, and currently Global RCOY Liaison. She has also served as a Global Youth Negotiator at COP28 and SB60, and currently serves as Country Representative of the Regional Youth Parliament in Climate Action (RYPCA). At the national level, Shamla chaired Sri Lanka's LCOY 2023 and was a key lead and editor of Sri Lanka's first National Youth Statement for the UNFCCC COP28 process. Her environmental governance experience includes leading Sri Lanka's first Deep Sea Mining advocacy initiative and contributing to the MV X-Press Pearl environmental damage assessment, including water and seashore assessment. She is committed to bridging international policy, national implementation and meaningful youth participation across interconnected climate, water and sustainable development agendas.