Mobilizing Youth for Ocean, Climate, and Disarmament Action at the 2025 HLPF
On 14 July, 2025, Kiribati, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), Reverse the Trend (RTT), Blue Planet Alliance and Peace Boat US co-hosted a vibrant side event titled "Mobilizing Youth for Ocean and Climate Action: Harnessing Citizen Science and Capacity-Building" at the UN Headquarters during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). This event highlighted the critical role of youth engagement and activism in addressing interrelated ocean, climate resilience, and global disarmament issues.
Speakers included Christian Ciobanu, Policy and Advocacy Director at the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and Project Coordinator at Reverse the Trend and TPNW Advisor to Mission of Kiribati; David Shi, Youth Activist with NAPF and RTT and Researcher at the Economic Policy Research Institute; Alejandro Forero Rey, Intern at Peace Boat US and Rising Senior at Tufts University; and Ruth Ijomor, Intern at Peace Boat US and Rising Junior at Tufts University.
Speaking on behalf of the Mission of Kiribati, Christian Ciobanu led the session by highlighting the intersection between nuclear legacy issues, climate change, and ocean health, particularly calling to attention the historical nuclear testing in Kiribati. Ciobanu discussed the ramifications of Operation Grapple, where, on April 28, 1958, the United Kingdom detonated its largest thermonuclear test, over 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Ciobanu stressed the enduring humanitarian and environmental consequences faced by Kiribati’s communities, pointing out the essential role youth play in advocating for victim assistance and promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). He further highlighted the significance of the recent UN Resolution on Nuclear Justice, which garnered support from 174 states, underscoring global recognition of the urgent need for nuclear accountability.
Ciobanu also highlighted a need to actively engage and empower youth within this policy space, highlighting the NAPF and RTT’s recent activities, including participation at the third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the TPNW, where they co-hosted events that elevated youth voices on issues of disarmament and nuclear justice.
Following Ciobanu’s remarks, David Shi, a youth activist with NAPF and RTT, spoke in-depth on community-driven climate resilience and social protection in developing countries. Shi was keen on community-driven climate resilience and social protection in developing contexts and spoke from his recent field research in Lesotho. He described how in several districts, over just a few years, local home-grown school feeding programs evolved from tiny crop gardens into vibrant hubs of community collaboration, where students and teachers actively engage in agricultural production supported by their families.
Shi emphasized the importance of grounding policies and initiatives in local realities and empowering youth to take the lead and make meaningful contributions. Drawing from his research with the Economic Policy Research Institute, he offered insights into youth-led humanitarian efforts in fragile settings—highlighting the example of Sudanese resistance committees and emergency response rooms (ERRs), which he described as highly adaptable, community-based models of action.
Shi concluded his remarks by calling for “youth to be integrated as leaders, planners, and organizers at every level of climate, disarmament, and development policy. [...] We need to go beyond just tokenism and make sure we actively engage and utilize the expertise and networks that youth possess”.
Alejandro Forero Rey, a rising senior at Tufts University, reflected on his background and experience interning with Peace Boat US this summer. Born in Columbia and having lived in Saudi Arabia, the US, and Hong Kong, Alejandro credited his diverse geographical upbringing with shaping his identity as a “global citizen” and cultivating a commitment to international cooperation.
Interning with Peace Boat US, Alejandro explained, provided a unique opportunity to engage in the field of sustainable development in a hands-on fashion. He lauded Peace Boat for its work at the intersection of sustainability and disarmament and its creation of space for international collaboration relating to these issues. He praised his Peace Boat US colleagues and his supervisor, Emilie McGlone, for fostering an environment that encourages youth participation and practical engagement in fields previously unknown. Alejandro closed by considering the implications of his presence for youth engagement in international discussions, remarking, “youth voices are not only welcomed but essential in shaping global policy.”
Ruth Ijomor, a rising junior at Tufts University and an intern at Peace Boat US, gave attention to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Stressing that the SDGs are deeply interconnected, Ruth affirmed that climate action is not merely about the environment, but about “governance, equity, and institutions.”
As a first-generation Nigerian-American, Ruth offered personal insight on the harmful implications of weak institutions in their limiting of opportunities and derailing of climate and development goals. She underscored the particularly devastating effects of the climate crisis on poor and marginalized communities. Calling for youth engagement, Ruth concluded by reflecting on an adage voiced by her father – ”A single tree does not make a forest. Let’s allow our youth to be saplings that would line our forests.”
Throughout the session, the speakers reinforced the need to integrate youth perspectives into global oceanic and climate governance frameworks. They emphasized multi-stakeholder engagement and cross-sector collaboration, blending research, activism, and international advocacy as a way to build more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable societies. From policy analysis and grassroots mobilization to practical citizen science, the speakers’ diverse backgrounds showcased the multifaceted ways that youth can contribute to both humanitarian and environmental agendas.