Pacific Youth Dialogue on Climate Security 2022 - Session 1

Leaders are already preparing for the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the UNFCCC in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt scheduled for November 2022.

This dialogue series will be an opportunity to use the auspices of the UN to support Pacific Islands youth, inform discussions leading up to the event, and to engage and formulate key priorities and demands, both to their own communities, to Pacific Island Leaders, and the international community. Recognising that Pacific leaders are the vehicles for Pacific Island countries at these negotiating spaces, it is important that they are equipped with the insight and technical input that young people contribute to the climate security conversation.

The dialogue series seek to be a platform for Pacific Island youth to expand their roles and engagement in formal and informal processes and institutions relating to climate security. The UN Secretary-General’s “Our Common Agenda”, published in September 2021, invites “institutions to establish better ways of listening to people […] especially groups that are frequently overlooked, such as women, young people, minority groups or persons with disabilities”. In line with this forward-looking ambition, the project seeks to create and support a network of Pacific youth convened to consider, question and envision the future of their region in a collaborative way. 

The dialogue is organized in partnership between the United Nations in the Pacific (Resident Coordinator Office in Fiji), the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group (SG YAG) on Climate Change and the UN Department for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). Participation includes representatives from the Pacific Youth Council, Pacific Islands Forum, national authorities in the Pacific, other relevant United Nations agencies, and youth representing various regional, national, and local youth networks in the Pacific region.

An open call for participants (both as speakers/participants) was sent to Youth Councils and networks across the region, as well as universities. There is a need to ensure the participation of young women and the inclusion of youth from all Pacific Island countries/territories.

Aim is to develop an outcome document highlighting key points will be produced from each dialogue, and the goal is that at the end of the dialogue series, a set of recommendations from Pacific youth will be made and presented to Pacific leaders and the global community. This will provide something tangible to bring to COP27.