Manila - Over 100 young people gathered at the Environmental Studies Institute of Miriam College on 29 September for the Asia Pacific Youth Summit on Climate Change and Human Mobility. The first of its kind in the region, the event aimed to amplify youth voices regarding their needs, concerns and recommendations related to the intersections of climate change, environment and migration.  

The youth summit – hosted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with Miriam College, the Migration Youth and Children Platform (MYCP - formerly the Major Group for Children and Youth Migration Working Group) and the NGO Upholding Life and Nature (ULAN) - was attended by students from Miriam College and Ateneo de Manila School of Law, alongside young climate change advocates from across the region.  

Asia-Pacific is the region most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with climatic and environmental factors increasingly driving migration and displacement in the region and around the world.  As the impacts of climate change intensify, more and more people will be on the move in future, and, in some cases, repeatedly. 

Migration can amplify challenges faced by youth, such as family separation and dangers linked to migration through irregular channels. However, such human mobility can also offer new opportunities for adapting to the impacts of climate change, through skills development and work and educational opportunities. Despite the challenges, young people are powerful agents of the change needed to promote climate action and greener economies. They are also capable of raising awareness about disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and of building resilience to adverse climate change impacts in their communities. Youth represent an immense source of energy, innovation and inspiration for future change. Empowering youth to fully participate in decision-making is crucial. 

“We acknowledge that our influence, while substantial, represents only a fraction of the countless young individuals fighting the effects of climate migration and advocating for greater local, national, and international action to be taken,” said Riza Franchesca Regala and Aidan Luchs, members of the MYCP Coordination Team 2023-2024 who both participated in the summit. “Many of these young people lack the opportunity to participate in summits such as this one, which underscores the importance of amplifying diverse voices in these spaces and bringing the views of as many young people as possible to the table.”  

This interactive youth-led event is part of the series of regional consultations implemented by IOM around the world ahead of IOM’s main forum for migration policy dialogue - the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) - in October 2023. It is also an opportunity to build the capacity of young people to speak about migration, environment and the climate change nexus, facilitating exchanges on innovative approaches by youth that can be replicated.  

“Time and again, young people have been at the forefront of climate action even when older generations have not. Their views are therefore crucial to dealing with the consequences of the climate emergency, including human mobility. IOM is determined to provide a platform for those voices to flourish,” said Sarah Arriola, IOM Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. 

The key messages from the youth summit will be shared at the IDM. The takeaways from the discussion will also be integrated into other regional and global dialogues, including COP28, the United Nations Summit of the Future in 2024 and regional reviews of the Global Compact on Migration. 

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For more information, please contact

Yu-Hsiang Wang at yuwang@iom.int

Andrea Francesca Empamano at aempamano@iom.int