{"id":49429,"date":"2026-11-03T16:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T14:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=49429"},"modified":"2026-11-03T16:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T14:36:07","slug":"climate-change-calls-grow-for-urgent-climate-action-ahead-of-cop31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/03\/climate-change-calls-grow-for-urgent-climate-action-ahead-of-cop31\/","title":{"rendered":"CLIMATE CHANGE: Calls grow for urgent climate action ahead of COP31"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lodu William Odiya<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A group of children in South Sudan have called on their government, world leaders and international partners to take urgent action to address the climate crisis, urging decision-makers to move beyond promises and deliver practical solutions that protect children\u2019s rights and future in a changing climate.<\/p>\n

The call was made during a pre-COP31 simulation event led by children at Save the Children\u2019s office in Juba.<\/p>\n

The event brought together children, representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Education and other relevant line ministries, the Local Response Pooled Fund South Sudan (LRPF-SS), teachers, parents and the media.<\/p>\n

In a press statement that was extended to the No. 1 Citizen newspaper, the event discussed children\u2019s climate priorities and informed South Sudan\u2019s participation in the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).<\/p>\n

COP31 is scheduled to take place in Antalya, T\u00fcrkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026.<\/p>\n

Under the theme \u201cFrom Commitments to Implementation in South Sudan\u201d, children presented their declaration: \u201cOur Future, Our Rights, Our Climate; Listen to the Children of South Sudan\u201d, highlighting the urgent need for climate action that puts children\u2019s rights and priorities at the centre of national and global decision-making.<\/p>\n

In their declaration, the children noted that recurrent floods, droughts, food insecurity, displacement, and extreme weather threaten their access to education, healthcare, food, clean water and protection.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe climate crisis is a children\u2019s rights crisis. Our future must not be sacrificed for climate inaction. COP31 must deliver more than promises; it must deliver climate justice and action that protects every child,\u201d the children declared.<\/p>\n

The children called for investment in climate-resilient schools, accessible early warning systems, safe shelters, reliable healthcare, clean water and sanitation.<\/p>\n

They also urged their leaders and international partners to provide accessible climate finance to support vulnerable communities, address climate-related loss and damage, and ensure that children meaningfully participate in climate policies and decisions.<\/p>\n

The declaration further emphasised the need to protect displaced children, children with disabilities, and those living in remote and conflict-affected communities, who often face greater risks during climate-related emergencies.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the dialogue, Payai Jok Manyok John, Director of Climate Change and UNFCCC National Focal Point for South Sudan at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, highlighted the importance of translating climate commitments into practical action.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimate change is not only an environmental challenge; it is also a development, humanitarian and intergenerational justice issue. Children are among those most vulnerable to its impacts, despite contributing the least to the causes of climate change,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Ministry outlined proposed national commitments to integrate children\u2019s priorities into climate policies and development plans, strengthen disaster preparedness, promote climate-resilient schools, protect essential services and support child- and youth-led environmental initiatives.<\/p>\n

It also emphasised the importance of improved climate education, stronger coordination, and increased access to climate finance.<\/p>\n

Save the Children will send nine delegates, including five children, to COP31, creating an opportunity for children from South Sudan to bring their experiences, recommendations and priorities into international climate discussions.<\/p>\n

The participation reflects the importance of recognising children not only as victims of climate change but also as rights-holders, stakeholders and agents of change whose voices must influence decisions affecting their future.<\/p>\n

The children called on the government of South Sudan to integrate their priorities into national climate and development plans. They also urged high-emitting countries to reduce emissions and increase support for adaptation and loss and damage, while calling on donors, UN agencies and development partners to invest in practical, child-focused climate solutions.<\/p>\n

As South Sudan prepares for COP31, children sent a clear message at the simulation event: climate commitments must translate into measurable action that protects children, strengthens community resilience and safeguards future generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen to our voices. Protect our rights. Invest in our resilience. Act now for our future,\u201d the children urged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lodu William Odiya A group of children in South Sudan have called on their government, world leaders and international partners to take urgent action to address the climate crisis, urging decision-makers to move beyond promises and deliver practical solutions that protect children\u2019s rights and future in a changing climate.[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":49430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[134,80,79,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-2","category-national","category-news","category-politics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Calls-grow-for-urgent-climate-action-ahead-of-COP31--e1793716419717.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49429"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49433,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49429\/revisions\/49433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}