In just over a week, young Pacific people worldwide will convene at the ‘Youth4Pacific: Pre-COP Gathering’–the largest mobilisation of Pacific Youth in the lead-up to this year’s COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow.

350.org Pacific Representative to the Youth4Pacific Committee, George Nacewa, said, “Youth4Pacific is about ambition and power. As a collective of young Pacific people, we will call for greater ambition on climate action. The two-day gathering is designed to empower Pacific youth and leverage the expertise and knowledge we all share to amplify the story of our region.”

The two-day programme from the 23rd – 24th September will have participants engage in six Talanoas and 12 Workshops facilitated by partners and organisations who work with Youth in the Pacific and share in the Youth4Pacific vision of a just, inclusive, and sustainable response to the threat of the climate crisis.

“The event is an opportunity for knowledge-sharing. It recognises that as young people, we possess the necessary skills and experiences to mobilise ourselves. We can articulate our concerns and leverage these best practices to apply pressure on world leaders to deliver the change we need, at the pace we need, to avoid catastrophic climate change,” said Komal Kumar, Sustainable Ocean Alliance Representative to Youth4Pacific Committee.

The gathering will culminate in the formulation and endorsement of the Youth4Pacific Declaration on climate change. The Declaration will capture the actions and solutions identified by participants, thus highlighting regional Youth priorities. It then serves as the voice of our young people in both the Conference of Youth (COY16) and the UNFCCC Climate Negotiations (COP26) and will be championed by Pacific youth representatives present at these meetings.

Climate Policy Officer at the British High Commission in Suva, Kunal Singh, said “As the incoming COP26 Presidency, the UK government is pleased to provide a unique opportunity for Pacific youths to have an honest and open dialogue with regional governments, CROP agencies, CSOs and NGOs on shared priorities for inclusive and ambitious outcomes in Glasgow, later this year. As Presidency, we understand the important role Youths play and stand ready to engage with young people in the global fight against climate change.

The ‘Youth4Pacific: Pre-COP Gathering’ is organised by the United Kingdom's COP26 Presidency, in collaboration with Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), 350.org Pacific, Active Citizens Pacific, and the Alliance for Future Generations [Fiji].

Registrations are currently open, and there are limited seats available. Visit www.youth4pacific.org for more information.

Source: Press Release