More Pacific youth needed at global climate talks
She called for more Pacific youth to be included in national delegations and given opportunities to speak at international climate meetings.
Thursday 20 August 2026 | 18:00
Representative of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellowship Imade Tellei during the Regional Conference of Youth at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva on Monday August 18.
Photo Ronald Kumar
Pacific leaders must give more young people a place in national delegations and a voice at international climate negotiations to ensure their priorities influence decisions affecting the region's future.
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Fellowship representative Imade Tellei made the call while attending the regional youth climate conference, saying young people needed greater opportunities to participate in climate decision-making rather than leaving such discussions mainly to adults.
“I really do hope to see a bit more of youth representation,” Ms Tellei said.
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She called for more Pacific youth to be included in national delegations and given opportunities to speak at international climate meetings.
“I do hope that there is more Pacific youth involvement, badged under your national delegations, and then given the space and opportunity to speak up,” she said.
Ms Tellei said the regional youth climate conference provided an important platform for young people to identify shared concerns and contribute to discussions on climate change.
She said smaller breakout groups held on the first day of the conference were particularly productive, with Micronesian participants identifying water security, capacity building and sea-level rise as key regional priorities.
Ms Tellei said she was interested to see how those priorities would be reflected in the youth community.
The conference was her first regional youth-led conference, which she described as an eye-opening experience.
Ms Tellei previously participated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change subsidiary bodies meetings in June and is preparing to attend COP31 in Turkey.
She said her experience with AOSIS had demonstrated that young people could contribute to national and regional climate coordination, including work on adaptation and mitigation.
Ms Tellei said Pacific leaders needed to create more space for youth to participate and represent both national and regional interests.
