As the 3rd Global MAB Youth Forum 2026 came to a close, 5 young rapporteurs stepped into the spotlight. Throughout the week, they worked behind the scenes to turn diverse ideas and recommendations from over 180 youth participants across the world into a shared vision for MAB Youth. The result? A MAB Youth Declaration and MAB Youth Roadmap (2026-2035), shaped by the voices of young people from Biosphere Reserves worldwide.

Representing 5 continents and diverse realities, they share a common goal: transforming the Forum’s momentum into lasting action. These are their reflections on what it takes to build a youth-led sustainable future.

Calling for equity in Biosphere Reserves

Queen Elizabeth Hare, Kenya’s National MAB Youth Focal Point, brings forward a clear message from her community: young people are ready to commit to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, but they want a stronger voice. They seek meaningful participation in decision-making within local initiatives, national committees, and regional bodies, as well as greater involvement in field activities. 

For Queen Elizabeth, to make that possible, more concrete support is needed in this process. Funding, project management, and impact reporting are crucial to sustain the work young people are doing and expand its reach.

Thousands of kilometres away, David Béland, Canada’s National MAB Youth Focal Point, echoes a similar concern from a different context. 

David draws attention to the increasingly visible gaps in capacity among Biosphere Reserves. While some benefit from strong infrastructure, paid staff, cutting-edge technology, and stable networks, others continue to face significant capacity-related and connectivity barriers. As global ambitions grow, he warns, so does the risk of widening inequalities — making it harder for some communities to keep pace with evolving strategies and frameworks. 

From this testimony, a pivotal point emerges: sustainable development requires both progress and equity; it is paramount that the MAB Programme ensures that no community is left behind.

Despite their geographical distance, Queen Elizabeth and David face many of the same challenges in delivering Biosphere Reserve projects. These shared experiences demonstrate the importance of the MAB Youth Declaration and MAB Youth Roadmap, ensuring that the Forum’s outcomes can drive meaningful and inclusive impact across all Biosphere Reserves.

From global promises to local realities

Beyond the Forum, these outcomes take on real-world meaning as these young leaders bring them home to their own communities and Biosphere Reserves.

For Nourhan Elmaghrabi, Egypt’s National MAB Youth Focal Point, the next steps are clear. She plans to integrate the Forum’s outcomes directly into her daily work through lessons, workshops, and community engagement. By embedding the Forum’s declaration into educational activities, she aims to bring global conversations into classrooms and connect students and local stakeholders with the challenges and opportunities facing Biosphere Reserves.

Her approach mirrors the true impact of the Forum: change does not stop at the international level. It travels through people, reaching communities, schools, and everyday life.

Beyond the Forum: bringing the vision to life

For Rafael Moreira, Brazil’s National MAB Youth Focal Point, the Forum's greatest achievement is simple. “Now we have a shared vision,” he says, speaking on behalf of participants from 88 Member States. The Forum has created much more than just a space for dialogue; it has charted a path toward a common understanding. Rafael sees this shared vision as the foundation for addressing interconnected challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

With the MAB Youth Declaration now adopted and the MAB Youth Roadmap (in the process of being finalised), Biosphere Reserves can work to translate these shared priorities into action at local, regional, and national levels, while adapting them to their own contexts.

Saku Monden, Japan’s National MAB Youth Focal Point, looks beyond the event itself. “This forum is just the beginning,” he says. The relationships built between young people from different regions will not fade once the Forum ends; they will evolve, strengthening collaboration over time.

Each rapporteur brings a unique perspective yet contributes to the shared conclusion: the Forum doesn't end here. Its true legacy will be measured by what happens next, as young people turn a shared vision into collective action across Biosphere Reserves worldwide.