From Rarotonga to Azerbaijan, Charlene Hoff, a young woman negotiator, has grown in the UN Climate Summit process. Since her first COP three years ago in Sharm El Sheikh in 2022, Hoff sat at the front table behind the Cook Islands flag making interventions at COP29 held from November 11-22 November in Baku.

While as a policy officer within the Office of the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Hoff attended her first Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) in Egypt in 2022.

Participating as a youth delegate, she was funded by the Pacific Youth Council through different agencies of the Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific, including the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). As such, Hoff was a fixture in the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion at COP27 with SPREP, the managing partner of the Pavilion space for the Pacific Islands. She undertook a myriad of roles under the guidance of the team who helped build her capacity and enhance her understanding of the COP process and climate change issues.

“My time with the SPREP team was valuable, I was part of this nurturing group that really helped me grow – I got to mix and network with our Pacific Islands delegations which saw me build strong Pacific-wide relationships. I was fortunate to be part of this efficient machine team that manages the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion at COPs for our Pacific Islands,” said Hoff.

“It was the best introduction possible to a space that we all know can be very unfriendly.”

From her first COP in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, Hoff became hooked. While there she presented on youth panels as a youth advocate, helped with Moana Blue Pacific coordination and followed negotiations with the Cook Islands delegation.

Fast forward to earlier this month, Hoff, who is now working as a foreign service officer for the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, was the lead Cook Islands negotiator for the mitigation thread at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

In this role, she drafted interventions and took the floor making interventions to support the Pacific Small Islands Developing States (PSIDS) calls under mitigation. The Pacific Small Islands Developing States were working to ensure all parties align their efforts towards achieving the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature goal as committed to under the Paris Agreement.

“One thing I have learnt on this journey is there is no time to be shy. If you want to be heard, you really do need to step up and claim that space and speak. We’re all here negotiating for our future – that’s our priority,” Hoff said.

“With that as your key goal – you focus, stay on track and step out of your comfort zone to do what is needed.”

Hoff’s introduction to the mitigation thread was during her attendance at COP28 in Dubai in 2023. A member of the Cook Islands delegation at COP28, she further built her capacity under the Youth Negotiators Programme.

She participated in online courses to build her negotiations skillset in the months leading up to the COP in Dubai. It was at COP28 that Hoff became part of the PSIDS Mitigation Coordination Group working together to amplify Pacific “asks”.

Hoff attended COP29 with her fellow colleague also from Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Peka Fisher, who was attending her first COP. 

Her words of advice to other new Pacific Islanders interested in this negotiations space: “If you can, be a part of the SPREP Team working the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion – that’s a great introduction to how the COP works and the best opportunity to meet all our Pacific people that negotiate in this area.”

“It’s also best to remember the COPs are not glamorous, they are long hours that challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to speak up – claim your space.  Every moment here is a learning one.”

The 29^th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was attended by Pacific leaders and their delegations. They advocated for the survival of Pacific communities who continue to be at the forefront of climate change impacts.

A key part of amplifying the “One Pacific Voice” at COP29 was the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion and the Pacific Delegation Office.  The Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion at COP29 was a Pacific partnership with the Governments of Australia and New Zealand managed by SPREP. The Pacific Delegation Office at COP29 was a Pacific partnership with the New Zealand Government managed by SPREP.

• SPREP