By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 8: The Rainforest Youth Summit (RAYS) 2026 has elevated youth participation in climate and sustainability conversations with the inaugural Planet Futures Forum, a youth-led platform that culminated in the endorsement of the Preliminary RAYS Youth Declaration 2026.
The third edition of RAYS, organised by the Sarawak government and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB), endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts (MTCP), and supported by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development (MYSED), was held in Kuching from June 24 to 26.
According to a media release today, the summit brought together youth delegates, speakers and partners from across ASEAN and beyond to explore shared challenges and opportunities in climate action, sustainability and responsible development.
Hosted in Sarawak, one of the world’s most ecologically significant rainforest regions, RAYS places global sustainability discussions within the context of living landscapes, local communities and diverse cultural knowledge systems.
Under the theme “Youth: Many Ways, One Planet”, the Planet Futures Forum provided a platform for young people to move beyond dialogue and actively shape priorities on climate action, sustainability, governance and collective responsibility.
Introduced as the first initiative of its kind at RAYS, the Forum was designed not merely as a summit programme but as the foundation of a continuing youth-led movement that carries conversations, recommendations and priorities beyond the event.
The Forum was guided by the principle of Two-Eyed Seeing, an approach that recognises the value of integrating indigenous knowledge with Western scientific perspectives and practices. Through this framework, delegates explored how diverse ways of knowing and lived experiences can contribute to more inclusive and effective solutions for planetary challenges.
Discussions centred around three key thematic areas: Ways of Knowing, Living with the Earth, and Power & Responsibility.
With support from the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health as Knowledge Partners, delegates worked to develop and refine recommendations that were evidence-informed while remaining grounded in the realities experienced by communities and young people.
The Forum produced nine priority recommendations across the three themes, which were presented during the Declaration Congress. These recommendations were subsequently endorsed by delegates as part of the Preliminary RAYS Youth Declaration 2026.
The endorsement represented a significant milestone for RAYS 2026, reflecting a collective commitment among young leaders to bring youth priorities into future discussions on climate resilience, sustainability and community-driven action.
Throughout the Forum, delegates received guidance from Knowledge Holders and Allies, including Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Gerald Rentap Jabu; STB chief executive officer Dr Sharzede Salleh Askor; and RAYS speakers including Diwigdi Valiente and Dzaeman Dzulkifli, who contributed perspectives spanning governance, conservation, indigenous leadership and environmental practice.
In closing the session, Gerald emphasised that the Preliminary RAYS Youth Declaration should be viewed as the beginning of a longer journey rather than a final outcome.
He encouraged delegates to continue strengthening the document through consultation, dialogue and shared ownership, with the goal of shaping future action and decision-making.
Following the summit, the Preliminary RAYS Youth Declaration 2026 will undergo further consultation through a region-wide survey, allowing young people beyond the RAYS community to contribute their views and strengthen the recommendations.
The feedback collected will support the development and publication of the Final RAYS Youth Declaration, ensuring that the priorities identified through the Planet Futures Forum continue to evolve through broader youth participation and collaboration.
Through the Planet Futures Forum, RAYS 2026 has established a long-term pathway for youth voices to contribute meaningfully to climate and sustainability discussions. It reinforces the message that a sustainable future cannot be shaped by a single generation, sector or knowledge system alone, but through many voices, many ways of knowing and one shared planet. — DayakDaily
