Youth Voices Demand Swifter Actions on Climate

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security, Hon. Inia Seruiratu during the high-level Ministerial Meeting on Migration and Climate The leadership role of the Pacific youths in driving the innovative solutions and strong commitments for climate action has been emphasised. It is said it’s integral to resolving the climate crisis faced in the Pacific and the world.

This message was conveyed during a meeting held between the Pacific Youths and Fiji’s climate champion, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security, Hon. Inia Seruiratu in the lead up to the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit in New York earlier this week.

Minister Seruiratu said the UNSG’s Climate Action Summit is an important platform for Pacific Youths to shape discussions, raise critical climate actions to address climate change and have their voices heard on the urgency of addressing climate crisis faced by the Pacific region.

He encouraged the Pacific youths to openly share their thoughts and vision on how the world can innovatively solve climate change. He also thanked all the Pacific youths for their work on advocating climate actions and he said that their presence at an important global stage like UN Climate Summit represents their voices, and that of their countries, communities, families and the future of the Pacific.

Fiji’s young climate champions in New York included Timoci Naulusala, who rose to prominence as a leading voice in combatting the climate crisis during Fiji’s presidency of COP23.

Naulusala was joined by: Ms. Tyler Rae Chung, a student in marine studies at USP; Ms. Komal Karishma Kumar, who represented the youth-led Alliance for Future Generations – Fiji; Ann Mary Raduva, an environmentalist and legal activist who attends Adi Cokabau School (ACS); Mr. Maanvick Gounder, a volunteer at Project Survival Pacific who attends Penanag Sangam High School; and Ms. Genevieve Jiva, coordinator at the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN).

The UN has for the first time convened a Youth Climate Summit for young people completely devoted to climate action. The Summit opened a dialogue between youth and decision makers, putting young people in the driving seat with voice to realize their potential and the change they are persisting towards climate action. Hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Youth Climate Action Summit brought youth climate champions together from more than 140 countries to a platform to share their solutions on the global stage, and deliver a clear message to world leaders: “on the need to act now to address climate change”.