Island Youth Network
Island voices. Global decisions.
Your island. Your voice. Our shared future.
We connect young people from islands around the world with one another—and with the decisions shaping their communities.
Through peer learning, practical training and opportunities to engage in international policy, the Island Youth Network helps young islanders turn lived experience into informed action.
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A world where island youth are recognised as important leaders in shaping resilient and sustainable futures for island communities.
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To connect, equip, and amplify young people from island communities so they can engage more effectively in environmental leadership and international decision-making.
From connection
to participation.
Island communities have distinct experiences of climate change, biodiversity loss and development. Young people should have the knowledge, connections and opportunities to help shape the response.
Our approach brings together three strands: a community of peers, practical capacity building, and meaningful participation in policy.
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Meet young islanders across regions, exchange experiences and build relationships that continue beyond a single event. Our network creates space to learn from one another and find shared priorities.
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Understand how international climate and biodiversity negotiations work. Through accessible briefings, workshops and peer learning, develop the knowledge and confidence to contribute your island’s perspective.
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Put learning into practice through supported opportunities to follow negotiations, engage with organisations and decision-makers, and communicate what matters to island communities. Participation opportunities vary by programme.
LOCAL EXPERIENCE. INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION.
Different islands.
Shared ambitions.
From small island states to offshore communities, we bring young islanders into a global conversation about the future of the places they call home.
Our Growing Network
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Major UN processes engaged with:
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Convention on Biological Diversity
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Young Island Leaders participating in our 2026 capacity-building and international engagement programmes
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Young Island Leaders in the Network
UNFCCC SB64
Virtual Delegation
In June 2026, the Island Youth Network supported its first delegation of Young Island Leaders to engage with the UNFCCC SB64 climate negotiations in Bonn.
The programme was created to make the UN climate process more accessible to Young Island Leaders and give them direct exposure to the international negotiations shaping global climate policy.
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We received 54 applications from Young Island Leaders representing 22 islands and island regions around the world.
Four Young Island Leaders were selected for the first delegation, representing:
Montserrat
Fiji
Gran Canaria
Mohéli, Comoros
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With accreditation supported by the Small Islands Organisation (SMILO), delegates received official access to the UNFCCC process.
Across SB64, the delegation followed more than 25 sessions, covering areas including:
Climate finance
Oceans
Gender
Youth
Nature-based solutions
Transparency
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100% of delegates reported a significant increase in their confidence to engage in policy processes.
Average understanding of the UNFCCC process increased from approximately 1 out of 5 before the programme to between 3 and 4 out of 5 afterwards.