Youth from 57 island states call for urgent climate action
Children and young people demand attention on critical issues at the SIDS Summit in Antigua and Barbuda.
Pictured above: Children play by the sea on reclaimed land in Tuvalu.
ANTIGUA - "I love my county. It’s beautiful. It’s my home but I fear for our future. "
This was the stark and sobering message delivered by 15-year-old Lutrelle John in his address at the official opening of the Fourth Small Island Developing States Conference (SIDS4).
Dressed in school uniform, the young speaker from Antigua and Barbuda captivated the audience, emphasizing the fact that the 57 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are among the most vulnerable on the planet. Recalling his personal experience, he said, “In my country, I witnessed first-hand the life-changing devastation wrought by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and now I am increasingly aware of the slow degradation of our environment. I feel the increasing heat.”
Small Island Developing States are susceptible to extreme weather events, rising seas and temperatures, coastal erosion and biodiversity loss – all caused or exacerbated by climate change.
Children and young people living in the SIDS are especially vulnerable: a degraded environment affects them physically and psychologically. Their bodies are less able to cope with extreme weather and pollution. They are often disproportionately affected by poverty, lack of opportunity, undernutrition or obesity, and educational disruption. Their mental health is also under threat.
This is why youth action to protect SIDS is so important.
Youth committed to action
Lutrelle joined around 90 youth activists at the Children and Youth Action Summit, organized by the Ashley Lashley Foundation, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and UNICEF. The Summit, held on the eve of the SIDS4 conference, ratified a Commitment to Action that was then shared at SIDS4. This commitment represents a mechanism for meaningful engagement of children and young people in issues that matter to them.
“If we are really to achieve the sustainable development goals we all say we want so urgently, the voices of children and young people must be at the heart of the dialogue at all levels – community, national, regional, global,” said Lutrelle.
You need to listen to us and respect our ideas and our solutions.
The Commitment to Action touches on fundamental aspects of well-being and sustainable development for children and young people including safe and prosperous societies, resilient economies, a secure future, and environmental integrity and planetary sustainability. This landmark call echoes the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the main conference outcome document.
Lutrelle remains confident and optimistic that the future for children and young people in SIDS can be brighter, safer and more prosperous. He issued a rallying cry, “We are committed! Let’s make that commitment mean something. Let’s work together to ensure children and young people thrive in sustainable, just and inclusive societies.”
On the eve of the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) in Antigua and Barbuda, children and young people representing 35 of the 57 Small Island Developing States gathered at The Children and Youth Action Summit (24-26 May) – to ensure that their voices are heard at this once-in-a-decade global event.
