From Island Realities to Policy Action: Children Hand Over Climate Solutions to Solomon Islands Government Ahead of COP 31
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
After two intensive days of visual storytelling and grassroots policy dialogue, child representatives from across the Solomon Islands made their voices impossible to ignore. Convening for Klaemet Tok Stori from Pikinini (1–2 September 2026), 21 child delegates from Makira, Malaita, and Honiara transformed their frontline climate realities into concrete policy recommendations, and formally presented them to national leaders and diplomatic partners.
The summit was co-organised through a partnership between the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA), and World Vision Solomon Islands.
The Frontline Reality: Least Responsible, Most Affected
Delegates emphasised that while children have contributed the least to global emissions, they endure the most severe consequences. In their formal declaration, the children outlined how the crisis disrupts education, destroys homes, threatens basic health, and forces relocations:
- Rising Seas & Severe Flooding: Coastal erosion and tidal surges threatening island shores, drowning food gardens, and damaging classrooms.
- Food & Water Insecurity: Shifting weather patterns and prolonged dry spells making nutritious food and clean drinking water difficult to access.
- Cultural Erosion & Relocation: The loss of ancestral lands, traditions, languages, and coastal heritage connecting children to their identity.
“Climate change is not a debate for tomorrow; it is happening right now," the children stated. "We are already living this crisis."
A Five-Point Mandate for National Leaders
Moving from lived experience to policy solutions, the delegates engaged directly with MECDM officials during an interactive Gallery Walk reviewing draft National Loss and Damage policy.
The children presented a clear five-point mandate calling for inclusive, community-driven governance engaging children, youth, and persons with disabilities:
- Prioritise Climate Change as a National Emergency: Integrate climate-induced impacts across all policies, national budgets, school curricula, and development planning.
- Increase Direct Climate Adaptation Funding: Invest heavily in resilient local livelihoods and infrastructure to prevent forced displacement.
- Halt Harmful Logging & Deforestation: Enact and enforce stringent legal bans against developments and extractive industries that harm ecosystems.
- Provide Accessible Community Grants: Ensure climate finance is directly accessible to children and communities for nature-based solutions.
Mandate Child Participation in Decision-Making: Include children’s voices and local knowledge as a standing priority in policy development.
The Official Handover
The summit culminated in a handover ceremony where Catherine, a child delegate from Makira Province who will represent Solomon Islands children at COP 31 in Turkey, presented the declaration to MECDM, Director Climate Change Division, Mr. Thaddeus Siota.
Holding the document before assembled leaders, Catherine delivered a powerful call to action:
"We didn’t cause this climate crisis, but we’re the ones watching the sea swallow our food gardens and flood our classrooms. Climate change isn’t just talk or reports to us — it’s what we live through every single day. I’m carrying our stories from our island villages all the way to COP 31 in Turkey to tell world leaders straight: Stop looking at us like we’re helpless victims. Treat us as partners. We have real ideas, big determination, and the right to a safe future. Listen to our voices, protect our communities, and act right now."
Responding to the declaration, Mr. Thaddeus Siota, Director, Climate Change Division, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) said:
"The clarity and depth of thought in this declaration reflect the undeniable reality our communities face every day. Our children are not speaking from theoretical models — they are reporting from our coastlines, food gardens, and schools. MECDM will ensure that these priority calls directly shape our national adaptation strategies, Loss and Damage priorities, and the formal position our national delegation carries to COP 31.”
"True climate justice begins by protecting the most vulnerable. "
Leaders and Partners Pledge Decisive Support
Upon receiving the submission, government and diplomatic partners committed to integrating the children's priorities into domestic frameworks and the national negotiating stance for COP 31.
Aaron Pitaqae, Permanent Secretary of MWYCFA, highlighted the fundamental link between child protection and climate justice:
"True climate justice begins by protecting the most vulnerable. When rising tides destroy classrooms and erode livelihoods, it is our children and young people whose safety, wellbeing, and future bear the heaviest strain. MWYCFA stands firmly behind our children's demands for inclusive, community-level governance where young people and persons with disabilities have a decisive voice in shaping the policies that affect their lives."
Hon. Jonathan Curr, New Zealand High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, commended the delegates' moral leadership:
"Aotearoa New Zealand recognises that the Pacific is on the frontlines of this global climate emergency, and the moral authority of these young advocates is profound. Listening to Catherine and the delegates demonstrates that the most effective, enduring solutions are locally owned and community-driven. New Zealand remains committed to standing with Solomon Islands to ensure Pacific children's voices resonate powerfully at COP 31 and across global forums."
In a video message to the audience, Andrew Morley, President & CEO of World Vision International, affirmed global solidarity:
"Heartfelt thanks to all the children — you’ve shown courage, wisdom and leadership. You’ve spoken about realities you see in your communities, from food insecurity to the threats facing your coastlines, your livelihoods and your water supply. You also brought forward solutions. What you’ve shared will help shape policies and influence decisions in the Solomon Islands and beyond. As children’s messages travel beyond this room to reach global leaders at COP 31, they carry something powerful: the lived experiences of those who will inherit the future we are building today."
Morley reiterated that climate change is ultimately about people, families, communities, and futures, praising the summit as a safe, meaningful space for children to contribute actionable solutions.
Also attending in support were Prue Pickering, First Secretary on Climate Change and Humanitarian at the Australian High Commission Office, representatives from the Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN), and World Vision leadership.
Carrying Frontline Voices to COP 31
Children are not passive victims of the climate crisis or mere observers of disaster. They are rights-holders, leaders, and powerful agents of change who possess the lived experience, local knowledge, and moral urgency that global negotiations can no longer afford to ignore,” concluded Asuntha Charles, National Director of World Vision Solomon Islands.
The message from Solomon Islands children is clear: they have practical, community-driven solutions that can strengthen resilience today, from restoring mangroves and protecting forests to securing safe water for every household. They are also reminding us that climate change affects every aspect of their lives, including their sense of security, wellbeing, and hopes for the future. As world leaders prepare for COP31, they must move beyond listening and take meaningful action on the priorities children are demanding, ensuring that climate responses strengthen not only communities’ physical resilience but also support children and families to thrive in an increasingly uncertain environment.
World Vision is proud to stand alongside Catherine and her fellow advocates as they bring this powerful declaration to the global stage and call for the ambitious climate action their future depends on.
For more information, contact:
Irene Marbun | email: irene_marbun@wvi.org
Operations Manager, World Vision Solomon Islands
Asuntha Charles | email: asuntha_charles@wvi.org
National Director, World Vision Solomon Islands