The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Lizbeth Cullity Monday, met with two young girls of Tafua School and their Principal to discuss with them key messages to convey at the Children‘s Climate Change Conference.
Narissa Feagaiga and Elena Ioane, both from Savai‘i, are two of the sixty-four children from around the world that have been selected as delegates to attend the Children‘s Climate Change Conference, a meeting that will be held in Sweden from 25 to 28 November.
The two girls were identified during the official travel of Par Ahlberger, the Ambassador of the Government of Sweden to Samoa, who visited the country the last week of October.
Par Ahlberger was impressed by Narissa and Elena and thrilled to support them, as they will be the only delegates from the Pacific Region at the Conference.
Narissa and Elena, together with the Principal of Tafua School, Tele‘a Taaau will be traveling to Sodertalje on Sunday and will probably have the chance to meet the Swedish Prime Minister.
During the Children‘s Climate Change Conference, participants from 22 countries, aged 9-12 years, will discuss climate change and create an appeal to put pressure on the world‘s leaders that will gather in December, in Paris, for the Conference of Parties (COP21) to agree on how to reduce greenhouse emissions to stop climate change and its irreversible consequences.
The Children‘s Climate Conference is being held to give children a strong voice in this important issue.
The purpose of this very unique meeting is to work together on "The children's demands", a communiqué that will be handed over to decision-makers in Paris on December 3rd.
Narissa Feagaiga and Elena Ioane said: ―We are very excited to be representing Samoa at this global conference. Climate change is affecting our country as well as other Pacific small island states and we‘ll do our best to express the voice of Pacific Youth when in Sweden.
The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations, Cullity, added: ―It is crucial for youth to be involved in decision-making processes - particularly regarding climate change - an issue that is so relevant for the Pacific and which will affect the next generation more than the adults who decide today. I am proud that these two young girls from Savai‘i will be going to Sweden to take part in the negotiations, together with children from all over the world, to let the leaders know what they think we should all do to save our planet.