SITIVENI LIGAMAMADA RABUKA, Prime Minister of Fiji, stated that today’s world is full of pain, mistrust, mysticism, cynicism and apathy. Instead of leveraging global cooperation to address the challenges, growing geopolitical rivalry is escalating tensions, he observed.  In addition, for the Pacific, climate change has been identified as a threat to peace, security and the region’s very existence.  “We directly bear the brunt of climate change on our coastlines, communities, livelihoods, security, statehood and identity,” he underscored.  Further, he noted that small island developing States also struggle to respond to global supply shocks.  Their debt levels impact the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.  Nevertheless, Fiji remains committed to them as well as to Our Common Agenda, he declared, expressing support also for the Summit of the Future.

In this regard, his country recently presented a second voluntary national review of the 2030 Agenda implementation.  Lamenting that the pandemic as well as other natural hazards caused a significant economic downturn in Fiji, he announced that recovery is already underway.  He went on to reiterate that his country will continue to uphold global peace and security, taking pride in the participation of Fijian troops in six United Nations peacekeeping missions.  Endorsing the “A New Agenda for Peace” policy brief, he pointed out that it is consistent with the Boe Declaration on Regional Security issued by leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum.  He thus proclaimed:  “We must consider the Pacific a zone of peace.”  As the blue Pacific is the world’s largest ocean, it should be protected and sustainably managed, he stressed.  To this end, the region’s leaders are guided by the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

Recalling the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Fiji remains committed to implementing corresponding human rights covenants and conventions as well as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention.  Returning to climate change, the world needs not only to reduce emissions but also to support vulnerable communities and foster resilience, he said, expressing hope that, this year, the modalities of the loss and damage fund will be finalized and the climate finance commitment to mobilize $100 billion annually will be met.  He thus welcomed the announcement of the President of the United States to contribute $11 billion every year to help lower-income countries implement their goals.  Nevertheless, he emphasized that the global financial architecture requires reform if future targets are to be met.

On disaster risk reduction, he detailed that his country enhances its responses through building resilient infrastructure, strengthening early warning systems, enhancing community preparedness and improving disaster response capacities as well as promoting ecosystem-based approaches.  Adding that Fiji will continue to deploy humanitarian and disaster relief to neighbouring countries, he informed that it has already relocated six coastal communities out of 42 in need.  Further, Fiji signed the High Seas Treaty and intends to ratify it as soon as possible.  Last week, the country’s Parliament also endorsed the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.  To combat plastic pollution, Fiji is actively engaged in negotiating a new treaty, he spotlighted, urging countries to finalize it by 2024.  Turning to the strained health systems of small island developing States, he encouraged partners to contribute to a voluntary health fund for these countries.  He also welcomed progress on a multidimensional vulnerability index.