The 2026 Berlin Climate Mobility Forum officially kicks off today in Germany’s capital, bringing together a diverse cohort of senior government officials, heads of international bodies, and representatives from leading development institutions to confront one of the most pressing interconnected challenges of the 21st century: climate mobility.
Over the course of the two-day gathering, stakeholders from across the globe will collaborate to deepen cross-border and cross-sector cooperation on climate mobility, while working to advance actionable, scalable solutions that strengthen climate adaptation, build community resilience, and advance inclusive sustainable development.
As climate change accelerates and its impacts ripple through communities on every continent, climate mobility — the movement of people displaced or compelled to relocate by climate-related disasters and slow-onset environmental changes — has emerged as a critical policy issue that intersects with environmental protection, public health systems, governance structures, and broad socioeconomic development strategies. What was once a marginal concern for small island developing states and low-lying coastal nations is now recognized as a global challenge that demands coordinated international action.
The roster of high-level attendees reflects the broad global consensus on the urgency of this issue. Participants include Nilda Borges da Mata, Minister of Environment, Youth and Sustainable Tourism of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe; Diaz Faisal Malik Hendropriyono, Vice Minister of Environment of Indonesia; Noelia Souque, Ambassador for Cross-Border Cooperation of Andorra; M.T. Oshurbayev, Vice Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan; Emmanuel King Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia; and Daniel M. Best, President of the Caribbean Development Bank. Among the delegates is Michael Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment, and Civil Service Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda.
Joseph is joined at the forum by Ruleta Camacho-Thomas, Antigua and Barbuda’s Climate Ambassador, who has long led the nation’s climate advocacy work across regional and international platforms. Her on-the-ground expertise and policy experience will support Joseph’s engagement in the forum’s working sessions and negotiations.
The forum fills a critical gap in global climate governance by offering a dedicated, high-profile platform for open dialogue and collaborative problem-solving. As nations grapple with the growing toll of climate change on vulnerable communities and livelihoods, this gathering creates space to align priorities and align collective action.
Core discussion topics for the event center on strengthening national and regional policy frameworks for climate mobility, boosting community-level resilience to climate shocks, and building inclusive cross-border partnerships that directly support vulnerable populations impacted by climate-related displacement and migration.
For Antigua and Barbuda, a low-lying small island developing state on the frontlines of sea level rise and climate change, Joseph’s participation underscores the nation’s unwavering commitment to tackling climate impacts, contributing to global collective action, and advancing shared goals of building global resilience, promoting responsible long-term environmental stewardship, and supporting communities around the world that face growing climate-related challenges.