María José Palomeque is a 19-year-old activist for human rights, climate justice and gender, born in southern Mexico in Tabasco.
She is an Advisor and Counselor for Girl Up of the UN Foundation in Mexico and World Ocean Day. Maria Jose is the Advocacy Lead for EmpoderaClima and leader at The Climate Reality Project. Also, she is part of the UNFCCC Children and Youth Official Constituency (YOUNGO) in the Adaptation Working Group and a member of the Global Coordination Group in the Policy Team.

Recently, she founded the environmental and gender educational platform EduHer in Latin America and the Caribbean.

At the age of 18, she participated in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28) as the Civil Society Representative and Adaptation Negotiator for Mexico.

María José has been a youth representative at the Adaptation Forum, the Ninth meeting of the Katowice Committee on the Impacts of the Implementation of Response Measures, and The Mitigation Ambition and Implementation Work Program.

Her connection to ocean protection and environmental protection stems from her past as a climate-displaced person. María José seeks to promote intersectionality in social movements, especially for the well-being of the ocean, prioritizing the voices and demands of people who are on the first line of defense, women, youth and local communities.