BukSU Information Officer Represents Global Youth at UN Climate Fund Board Meeting

Bukidnon State University (BukSU) Information Officer Nova Thirdy Agravante participated as an active observer in the 7th Board Meeting of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held October 7–9, 2025, in Metro Manila.

Along with other youth representatives, Agravante took part in discussions on the $250 million Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM), a grant program that will help developing countries deal with losses and damages caused by climate change. Half of the fund will go to the world’s least developed countries and small island states, while the rest will be available to other eligible developing countries, including the Philippines.

The FRLD meeting gathered international leaders, experts, and civil society organizations to finalize how the program will be implemented. The fund is part of the UN’s global effort to support communities most affected by extreme weather events and slow, long-term effects of climate change such as sea level rise.

Agravante was one of four youth representatives from the Youth NGOs (YOUNGO) network under the UNFCCC’s Loss and Damage Working Group who joined the sessions as observers. The youth delegation contributed policy recommendations promoting transparency, accountability, and participation in how the Fund operates.

Before the meeting, the youth group collaborated with YOUNGO, the UNFCCC Secretariat, and UNICEF to prepare a position paper calling for the inclusion of children and young people in climate-related decision-making.

“We demand that the fund be transparent, accountable, and participatory; prioritize grants and equity; guarantee meaningful community and youth involvement; protect cultural heritage and non-economic dimensions of loss; and ensure that resources swiftly reach those most affected,” said Agravante. “We stand ready to work with the secretariat and member states to ensure that the FRLD becomes a landmark in climate justice, not another failed promise.”

Agravante’s engagement in international climate platforms follows her participation in the 2024 Action for Climate Empowerment Youth Hub in Bonn, Germany, where she represented the Philippines among 34 youth delegates. Her continued involvement in YOUNGO since 2021 connects her work at BukSU with global initiatives addressing climate change and environmental sustainability. (Dr. Joanna Ruth S. Paloma, IU Management Staff Head/Faculty, Language and Letters Department)