Pacific youth demand seat at climate decision-making table

Pacific youth are demanding a meaningful seat at climate decision-making tables, saying policies affecting the region’s future must reflect their voices, traditional knowledge and lived experiences.

The call was made during the ongoing Regional Conference of Youth at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, where young leaders from across Oceania are developing shared priorities and a regional youth statement ahead of upcoming climate discussions.

National Youth Council Fiji vice-president Selai Niusere said climate change was not simply a policy issue for Pacific communities, but a daily reality threatening food systems, cultural identity, low-lying islands and coastal villages.

Ms Niusere said Pacific youth should be recognised as navigators, negotiators, scientists, researchers and leaders, rather than being treated only as victims of climate change.

Four key priorities were identified during the gathering: keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius, improving access to climate finance, protecting the ocean and ensuring young people have a meaningful seat at decision-making tables.

The 1.5-degree target was considered critical to the survival of Pacific island communities, with calls for rapid emissions reductions, a transition away from fossil fuels and greater accountability from major emitters.

Climate finance was also highlighted, with calls for funding to be more accessible, predictable and responsive to the needs of local communities and youth organisations.

Ms Niusere said protecting the ocean was equally important because it supported Pacific livelihoods, food security and cultural identity.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Pacific director Martin Wanderas said young people should not simply be consulted but should be involved in shaping programmes and decisions that affected them.

He said the priority should be to create programmes with young people rather than simply for young people, ensuring their experiences and ideas influenced decision-making processes.

Mr Wanderas said the three-day gathering provided an opportunity for Pacific youth to identify their priorities, develop collective messages and turn their ideas into action.

For participant Timoci Mocebalavu, a legal research intern at Dialogue Fiji, the gathering provided an opportunity to contribute his legal drafting skills while learning about the planning and aspirations leading into upcoming climate discussions.

Mr Mocebalavu said he felt privileged to join young leaders from across the Pacific and contribute to discussions on the ocean, cultural preservation and traditional knowledge.

He said the platform represented a significant change for Pacific youth, who were increasingly being given opportunities to participate in conversations affecting their future.

Mr Mocebalavu said young people now had a platform to raise their concerns and demonstrate the impact they could make when given the opportunity.

The gathering is expected to produce a regional youth statement reflecting the shared priorities and experiences of young people from across the Pacific.

Participants said the statement should not simply remain on paper but should carry the collective voice of Pacific youth into regional and global decision-making processes.