The Caribbean delegation comprised of 17 young leaders travelled to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 14th UNESCO Youth Forum on 27 and 28 October 2025, bringing unique perspectives as Small Island Developing States to the global conversation on climate action and its social impacts on young people.
“One cocoa fills a basket.” In the Caribbean, this proverb reminds us that collective effort, no matter how small each contribution may seem, can create powerful, lasting change. It was with this spirit that the Caribbean delegation comprised of 17 young leaders travelled to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the 14th UNESCO Youth Forum on 27 and 28 October 2025, bringing unique perspectives as Small Island Developing States to the global conversation on climate action and its social impacts on young people.
As representatives from islands disproportionately affected by climate change, they could highlight their realities, from rising sea levels and extreme weather to the economic and social impact for their communities. The delegation’s visibility, including having a youth moderator and contributing to the final conclusions, showcased Caribbean leadership and resilience. For many, it was a transformative experience and reinforced the importance of multi-sectoral, youth-led approaches to climate action, bridging environmental, social, and economic concerns from the regional to the international level.
The Caribbean delegation raised critical issues affecting youth: the increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes and other disasters that disrupt education and livelihoods, deepen inequalities, and threaten mental health; the gendered impacts of climate change on girls in rural and coastal communities; loss of traditional ecological knowledge; the digital divide during emergencies; and the urgent need for accessible, equitable climate finance. It emphasized the inclusion of youth in decision-making and advocated for justice-based approaches, including reparatory justice, to be reflected in global climate policies.
Working together, the delegates actively shaped the youth recommendations, pushing for language that reflected the lived realities of Caribbean youth, strengthened commitments on education resilience, digital access, and disaster preparedness, and ensured that psychosocial support for climate-affected communities was clearly acknowledged. By doing so, they ensured that Caribbean experiences informed actionable, measurable, and inclusive outcomes.
Their regional perspective enriched the global dialogue by grounding discussions in history, culture, and resilience. They highlighted how historical experiences, such as colonialism and slavery, have shaped ecosystems and societal structures, contributing to vulnerability today. They also brought a unified voice that combined research, lived experience, and cultural insights, showing how Caribbean approaches to community-based solutions, youth leadership, and collaboration can inspire global climate action.
Youth-led solutions emerging from the Forum resonated strongly with the Caribbean context. Initiatives such as climate education programs that integrate disaster preparedness, community-based adaptation projects, digital tools for monitoring and early warning, and youth-led mental health support were recognized as especially relevant. Addressing climate-related trauma, challenging stigma, and fostering psychosocial resilience were seen as essential steps for empowering young people to navigate and mitigate the impacts of climate disasters.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/caribbean-voices-global-stage-14th-unesco-youth-forum
