Following Vanuatu’s historic achievement at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu has thanked the country’s Next Gen Youth Ambassadors for their contribution to the global climate justice campaign.

Vanuatu’s leadership on climate change gained international recognition after successfully advocating for action through the United Nations General Assembly, with support from countries around the world.

Speaking on the importance of youth involvement, Next Gen Youth Ambassador Veh-Paiamely Trief said young people must be part of international and regional discussions because climate change directly affects their future.

“Issues such as climate change directly affect our youth, our children and our future. In Vanuatu we continue to experience cyclones that damage infrastructure and livelihoods, while also affecting children’s access to education, healthcare and other essential services needed for their development,” she said.

Ms Trief said participating in international climate discussions gave her an opportunity to ensure the concerns of young people were heard on a global stage.

Minister Regenvanu said the ICJ achievement would help strengthen legal protections and international support for future generations as countries work together to address global environmental challenges.

He said communities around the world are facing three major crises — climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

“We need to strengthen the actions we are taking at the community level to address these global challenges. We are losing important environmental resources, including forests, marine life and biodiversity, and this requires stronger collective action,” he said.

The Minister said Vanuatu’s success demonstrates that even small island developing states can influence international law and global decision-making when they work together with determination and strong partnerships.