Hitting the ground running for 2026, the Pacific chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) has plans in place for this year following the first planning session at the end of 2025.
The GYBN ended the year with a renewed momentum and a shared commitment to strengthen youth-led conservation action across the Pacific.
Held 3 December in Suva, Fiji, the meeting took place on the third day of the 28th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation (PIRT), marking a major milestone for youth-led environmental action in the Pacific region.
“The GYBN Pacific Network opens doors for young people to connect, learn and lead by giving them access to global platforms, skills and resources to protect our islands biodiversity while honouring our cultures and voices," said Mr Charles Nimanick, GYBN Pacific Networking Lead from Vanuatu.
The GYBN Pacific Chapter planning session marks a significant step forward in empowering Pacific youth to take leadership roles in protecting the region’s rich biodiversity for present and future generations.
Ms Claire Oiire, Pacific Biodiversity Coordinator for the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation, said the Youth Day allowed young leaders to engage in strategic dialogues on how to strengthen youth participation in regional biodiversity policy processes and how to align their efforts with global biodiversity frameworks while addressing unique Pacific challenges.
The Youth Day was conducted in a hybrid format, enabling young people from across the Pacific Islands to participate both in-person and virtually.
This approach ensured broad regional representation and allowed voices from remote island nations to contribute meaningfully to the discussions. Youth participants shared ideas, experiences, and aspirations for biodiversity conservation and building resilience across the Pacific.
The planning session focused on establishing the foundation of the GYBN Pacific Chapter, including its vision, priorities, governance structure, and collaborative pathways.
Young leaders engaged in strategic dialogues on how to strengthen youth participation in regional biodiversity policy processes and how to align their efforts with global biodiversity frameworks while addressing unique Pacific challenges.
This initiative was made possible through the generous support of the Pacific BioScapes Programme, a European Union (EU) funded action, managed and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), whose continuous commitment to youth engagement and biodiversity conservation has been instrumental in bringing the Pacific Chapter to life.
The Pacific Islands Roundtable of Nature Conservation (PIRT) also played a vital collaborative role, providing a strong platform that amplified youth voices within a high-level regional conservation forum. Each year PIRT convenes its Annual Meeting which bring together its members who are regional conservation organizations to address pressing environmental priorities across the Pacific in a collaborative and coordinated approach aimed at reducing duplication.
Youth participants expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to engage directly with regional conservation leaders and stakeholders, and for the space created to elevate youth perspectives in environmental decision-making.
For more information of the Pacific chapter of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]