Apia, SAMOA — Tiapapata teenager Aniva Clarke was the recipient of the Pacific Emerging Leadership Award at New Zealand’s Sunpix Pacific Peoples Awards last Friday night.

The award recognized the 17-year-old’s work as a Pacific environmental and child rights advocate and making meaningful change internationally and at the grassroots level. At the age of 15, Ms. Clarke served as the Pacific youth representative on the United Nations Children's Advisory Team. This group has advised the Committee on the Rights of the Child about children’s environmental rights.

She also contributed to the drafting of General Comment 26 and the Global Children’s Charter, giving governments worldwide definitive guidance on protecting children’s environmental rights in the face of the climate crisis. Recently Ms. Clarke gave the opening speech on behalf of children and youth to the 5th Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Ms. Clarke said she was honored to receive the recognition from the Pacific Peoples Awards and used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of children having a voice in the climate crisis.