Puaseiese A. Pedro, Office of Prime Minister Tuvalu
Pacific youth have urged leaders and development partners to turn youth-led ideas into funded, long-term actions to protect Pacific communities, cultures, and ecosystems.
They raised the point during the first day of the Pacific Regional Pacific Loss and Damage Dialogue held in Samoa, where two youth representatives presented the outcomes of the First Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage.
After a two-day dialogue that brought together young people from across the region, two delegates of the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue, presented the “Pacific Youth Loss and Damage Apia Declaration” to the meeting. The declaration calls for meaningful inclusion, education reform, capacity building, and accessible financing for youth-led climate responses.
Ms. Mesepele Lauti, of Tuvalu, framed the youth message in the shared values of the Pacific.
“E le sua se lolo, i se popo e tasi,” she said in Samoan, which translates to “you cannot make enough coconut oil from one coconut”, underscoring that “no one person can face the challenges of our time alone.”
She said youth already bring vision and resilience and demanded real support.
“Even the strongest canoe cannot cross the ocean without a sail. We ask for the space to lead, the resources to act, and the partnerships to equip us for the journey.”
Mr Mikaele Finau, the youth representative from Fiji, focused on the practical steps needed to turn commitments into results.
He called for funded, accountable systems that allow youth to design and carry out solutions. “We call for meaningful youth participation in the design and implementation of solutions, backed by the resources and influence necessary to achieve lasting change.”
He also stressed the need for clear funding pathways.
“We urgently seek funds for loss and damage, to protect our islands, safeguard our cultures, and preserve the futures of our people.”
The youth statement/declaration calls for a dedicated Pacific Youth Forum on Loss and Damage to coordinate youth-led action and keep momentum between dialogues, finance mechanisms with direct, transparent access for youth-led initiatives and the inclusion of youth representatives in national and regional loss-and-damage governance bodies.
The youth delegation also pledged to turn the declaration into an action plan at a follow-up youth loss-and-damage dialogue. They asked regional leaders and development partners to fund youth-led initiatives and capacity-building programmes, formally recognise youth representation in loss-and-damage governance; and support education reforms and ecosystem restoration programs that protect culture and livelihoods.
“We recognise the effort and resources that have gone into making our presence here a reality, and we pledge to ensure that the words we speak and the commitments we seek will ripple far beyond these walls, into tangible action for every community we represent.”
The Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 is held from 11-12 August at Taumeasina Island Resort. It follows the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage, held from 7- 8 August, at the same venue in Samoa.
The Pacific Regional Loss and Damage Dialogue 2025 and the inaugural Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage are made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand.
Hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the dialogues bring together Pacific governments, youths, civil society, academia, NGOs, and the private sector to collectively advance the region’s priorities on Loss and damage.
This story was produced by the Pacific Media Team covering the meetings. Their attendance is made possible with funding support from the Loss and Damage Capability and Capacity (LDCC) Project with the Government of New Zealand.
For more information, please contact SPREP Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, Ms Filomena Nelson [email protected], SPREP Climate Change Loss and Damage Officer, Ms Jessica Rodham [email protected] or Media and Public Relations Officer, Mr Keni Lesa [email protected]