Suva, Fiji: Pacific young people are building momentum to ensure their voices are heard in regional and global climate discussions, as registrations open for the second event in the Pacific Youth Talanoa Series. 

Taking place in Suva on 15 July, as well as being open to participants from outside of Fiji who can join online, the Talanoa serves as another key engagement for Pacific youth ahead of Pre-COP31 in Fiji and Tuvalu, and COP31 in Türkiye later this year.

More than 100 young people from across the Pacific participated in the firstTalanoa earlier this month, sharing experiences from their communities and identifying priorities for climate action. 

Discussions highlighted the need for stronger support for community-led solutions, greater youth participation in decision-making, and approaches that protect cultural identity and indigenous knowledge and recognise the interconnected nature of climate change, oceans, biodiversity, health, food security, livelihoods and sustainable development. 

Participants also explored the Pacific's agreed key priorities ahead of COP31, with the Pacific Youth Talanoa Series helping to ensure young people's perspectives shape regional climate discussions ahead of Pre-COP31.

Talanoa 2, themed "Understanding Systems that Shape Decisions", will help participants deepen their understanding of climate governance, policy processes and pathways for influence, from national advocacy to international negotiations. Participants will gain skills in communication, negotiation and climate advocacy while contributing to the development of a Pacific Youth Communiqué ahead of Pre-COP31 and COP31. 

The dialogue will also feature direct engagement with the COP31 Presidency Youth Climate Champion, Sally Higgins, serving as an opportunity to connect with established global youth climate processes and leadership.

To maximise peer knowledge exchange, Talanoa 2 will be co-facilitated by Pacific alumni from the Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform, a UNDP-managed initiative in partnership with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  and UNICEF.

The three-part Talanoa Series is co-designed and co-delivered by the Pacific Youth Council and the United Nations, in partnership with Pasifika Communities University and Pacific regional organisations. It aims to create meaningful opportunities for young people to engage in climate dialogue, strengthen leadership, and contribute to conversations that will shape the future of the Blue Pacific. 

Young people aged 18 to 35 from across the Pacific, including diaspora, are invited to participate. Pacific youth residing outside of Fiji can join the Talanoa online, with those in Fiji encouraged to join in-person at the Pasifika Communities University on 15 July.

Interested youth can register by completing the online application form here. 

For more information please contact: Aquila Van Keuk, Policy, Innovation and Partnerships Analyst | (E) aquila.vankeuk@undp.org and Nacanieli Tavaga, Futures and Inclusions Engagement Officer | (E) nacanieli.tavaga@undp.org