The Regional Conference of Youth for Oceania (RCOY) has officially concluded at the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat.
The event accredited by the UNFCCCs official children and youth constituency known as YOUNGO bringing together youth from across the Oceania region, saw contributions from youths across all aspects relating to climate justice.
FBC News attended the three-day event and observed that the initial statement contributed by the youths in attendance stood at five priorities from the initiatives previous Talanoa Session and was re-evaluated to now nine priorities that will be tabled at the PreCop in Tuvalu, Nadi and Antalya Turkiye.
Closing the RCOY, UN Resident Coordinator Dirk Wagener stressed that meaningful youth participation must extend beyond simply being heard.
He said young people must have a genuine role in shaping decisions that affect their future, with their priorities connected directly to policy and action.
The United Nations is calling for Pacific youth voices to move beyond consultation and translate into concrete climate action.
Wagener said the experiences shared by Pacific youth during the Talanoa process demonstrate the importance of creating spaces where young people can exchange perspectives, share lived experiences and contributed to regional and global climate discussions.
He also acknowledged the realities already facing Pacific communities, including rising sea levels, coastal erosion, displacement and the loss of homes, livelihoods, culture and identity.
UN Resident Coordinator has urged young people to continue connecting across islands and generations, while challenging leaders and institutions to ensure youth participation is meaningful and leads to action.
