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2020: 'Super-Year' for Nature and for Fiji-UN Development Cooperation

Date: 
Wednesday, 05 February 2020

As the United Nations welcomes its 75th anniversary and Fiji marks its half-century of independence, 2020 is set to be a banner year for Fiji’s global advocacy and development cooperation with the United Nations. Through its surging international partnerships, Fiji will pursue the UN’s over-arching mandate of peace and security while also working to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Satyendra Prasad says that “through the strong leadership of the Honourable Prime Minister, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, at prominent UN High Level forums, Fiji is now recognized as global leader in driving actions on climate change, oceans and the implementation of the global goals”.

Fiji is a leading global voice for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in leveraging the much-needed support required to help them combat the climate crisis. Ambassador Prasad stated that Fiji’s leadership, its cohesive approach, and its sustained efforts are bearing positive results.

Fiji is shaping discussions on mobilising new finances for Sustainable Development Goals. The government is leading this conversation internationally at the United Nations, at the World Bank and across global forums.
“We are positioned positively in the UN space; we are making solid progress. It is beginning to show results and we hope that these results will accelerate”, Ambassador Prasad elaborated.

He stated “The Fiji Mission in New York is working with a range of stakeholders to maximize opportunities for Fiji to help it achieve the global goals – the SDGs. This includes working with private sector; innovators, and change leaders.”

Ambassador Prasad states that Year 2020 marks an important year for both the United Nations and Fiji. UN High Level Meetings this year will enable Fiji to track its progress and map the way forward in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 SDG’s. The Government system and Fiji’s private sector needs to work together to help achieve the SDG’s and transform the lives of all Fijians.

2020 is described as a global “super year of nature”. This is consistent with Fiji’s overall development approach. To achieve sustainable development, Fiji is committed to achieving carbon-neutrality by 2050; and committed to having a sustainable approach to its development.

Ambassador Prasad stated that the commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary in September 2020 and Fiji’s 50th Independence Day Jubilee celebrations in October are both important milestones in Fiji and UN relations.

Some of the UN meetings and forums that Fiji is expected to participate in this year include:

The 2nd UN Oceans Conference, to be held in Portugal from 2nd to 6th June 2020. It will focus on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, in the context of SDG 14. This is an opportunity for Fiji to showcase its efforts to protect its oceans and draw in investments for development of a sustainable blue economy.

In August this year, Fiji is expected to be part of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) themed "Ecological Civilization-Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth." The meeting will review the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" and determine the new goals of global biodiversity in 2030.

Fiji will also be driving the climate action agenda at the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) which, is expected to take place from 9-19 November 2020, in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. The international community is expected to make fresh commitments towards achieving a zero carbon economy. Fiji expects to also present its plans in energy, transportation, and other areas to development partners and private sector at this conference.

Among the important UN meetings for 2020, is also sixty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 9th to 20th March 2020. This will review the progress that Fiji and other countries have made over 25 years since the Beijing declaration was adopted.