Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
[Photo: UN Pacific/Website]
Pacific youth will set out regional priorities for COP31 when the Regional Conference of Youth Oceania 2026 begins in Suva today.
The three-day conference will bring together about 80 to 100 young people at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat from August 18-20, with others joining online from across the region.
Under the theme From Our Islands to the World: Oceania’s Youth Charting the Course to COP31, participants will discuss climate justice, climate action and the need to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach.
Access to climate finance will also be a key focus, alongside youth advocacy and media skills.
The conference will give Pacific youth a platform to develop and adopt a regional youth statement.
Their priorities will then be taken to the Pacific Leaders Meeting in Palau, Pre-COP31 engagements and COP31 later this year.
The program will also include cultural activities and regional discussions aimed at strengthening youth participation in climate decision-making.
Organisers say the conference is an opportunity to amplify Pacific young people’s perspectives and leadership as the region prepares for COP31.
