Home / Recent news / Pacific youth call to be partners in biodiversity decision-making at PCNC11
Pacific youth call to be partners in biodiversity decision-making at PCNC11
Home / Recent news / Pacific youth call to be partners in biodiversity decision-making at PCNC11
Pacific youth call to be partners in biodiversity decision-making at PCNC11
- Conference delegates adopted the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration, which sets 16 Regional Collective Priorities for Pacific conservation to 2030.
- The Global Youth Biodiversity Network Pacific chapter presented a youth declaration asking ministers to treat young people as decision-makers and to fund youth-led action.
- Youth priorities are meant to feed into CBD COP17, UNFCCC COP31 and other global processes.
More than 400 delegates from across the Pacific gathered in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from 7 to 11 September 2026 for the 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas (PCNC11). They included governments, Indigenous and local community representatives, youth, conservation organisations and development partners. The conference was organised by New Caledonia, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation.
A shared regional direction
A central outcome was the adoption of the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration: Pacific Commitments to Nature Conservation and Protected Areas 2026–2030. The Declaration sets out 16 Regional Collective Priorities to be implemented by 2030. Its themes include:
- conservation and restoration
- invasive species and pollution
- Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge
- environmental governance
- sustainable biodiversity finance
It sits alongside two other outcomes: the Pacific Islands State of Environment and Conservation Report 2026 and the Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation 2026–2030.
Youth at the table
Young Pacific people were a visible presence throughout the week. A youth dialogue brought together 30 young Pacific leaders to share experiences and discuss implementation challenges. They also identified ways to strengthen youth participation in biodiversity governance. Discussions pointed to gaps in access to capacity development, finance, information and decision-making spaces.
The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Pacific chapter also presented a Pacific Youth Declaration during the ministerial segment. It asks leaders to make four commitments:
- recognise youth as decision-makers, not only stakeholders
- invest directly in youth leadership through accessible finance and capacity-building
- uphold intergenerational and Indigenous knowledge systems
- implement biodiversity, climate and ocean action together
The declaration closes with the line: “We are not the leaders of tomorrow. We are the partners you need today.”
The Pacific BioScapes Programme made the participation of the GYBN Pacific ambassadors possible. The programme is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by SPREP. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership provided further assistance. For the Partnership, this support is an investment in the people who will help implement national biodiversity strategies and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework over the long term.
Looking ahead
PCNC11 took place ahead of CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, where Parties will take stock of progress on the Framework. The youth declaration asks that its priorities be carried into COP17, UNFCCC COP31 and other global processes. The Môo Mâ Awé Declaration gives Pacific countries a regional reference point as they turn global commitments into national implementation.
- Conference delegates adopted the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration, which sets 16 Regional Collective Priorities for Pacific conservation to 2030.
- The Global Youth Biodiversity Network Pacific chapter presented a youth declaration asking ministers to treat young people as decision-makers and to fund youth-led action.
- Youth priorities are meant to feed into CBD COP17, UNFCCC COP31 and other global processes.
More than 400 delegates from across the Pacific gathered in Nouméa, New Caledonia, from 7 to 11 September 2026 for the 11th Pacific Islands Conference for Nature Conservation and Protected Areas (PCNC11). They included governments, Indigenous and local community representatives, youth, conservation organisations and development partners. The conference was organised by New Caledonia, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Islands Roundtable for Nature Conservation.
A shared regional direction
A central outcome was the adoption of the Môo Mâ Awé Declaration: Pacific Commitments to Nature Conservation and Protected Areas 2026–2030. The Declaration sets out 16 Regional Collective Priorities to be implemented by 2030. Its themes include:
- conservation and restoration
- invasive species and pollution
- Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge
- environmental governance
- sustainable biodiversity finance
It sits alongside two other outcomes: the Pacific Islands State of Environment and Conservation Report 2026 and the Pacific Islands Framework for Nature Conservation 2026–2030.
Youth at the table
Young Pacific people were a visible presence throughout the week. A youth dialogue brought together 30 young Pacific leaders to share experiences and discuss implementation challenges. They also identified ways to strengthen youth participation in biodiversity governance. Discussions pointed to gaps in access to capacity development, finance, information and decision-making spaces.
The Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Pacific chapter also presented a Pacific Youth Declaration during the ministerial segment. It asks leaders to make four commitments:
- recognise youth as decision-makers, not only stakeholders
- invest directly in youth leadership through accessible finance and capacity-building
- uphold intergenerational and Indigenous knowledge systems
- implement biodiversity, climate and ocean action together
The declaration closes with the line: “We are not the leaders of tomorrow. We are the partners you need today.”
The Pacific BioScapes Programme made the participation of the GYBN Pacific ambassadors possible. The programme is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by SPREP. The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership provided further assistance. For the Partnership, this support is an investment in the people who will help implement national biodiversity strategies and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework over the long term.
Looking ahead
PCNC11 took place ahead of CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, where Parties will take stock of progress on the Framework. The youth declaration asks that its priorities be carried into COP17, UNFCCC COP31 and other global processes. The Môo Mâ Awé Declaration gives Pacific countries a regional reference point as they turn global commitments into national implementation.
The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led initiative that supports the implementation of NBSAPs to collectively achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is co-chaired by Colombia and Germany, supported by the governments of Germany, Norway, Canada and France, and coordinated by a Global Coordination Unit hosted by the Secretariat of the CBD, UNDP and UNEP.
The NBSAP Accelerator Partnership is a country-led initiative that supports the implementation of NBSAPs to collectively achieve the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It is co-chaired by Colombia and Germany, supported by the governments of Germany, Norway, Canada and France, and coordinated by a Global Coordination Unit hosted by the Secretariat of the CBD, UNDP and UNEP.
