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PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM CHAIR PARTICIPATES AT THE APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING

Date: 
Wednesday, 10 November 2021

PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM CHAIR PARTICIPATES AT THE APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING

Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama in his capacity as the Pacific Islands Forum (PIFs) Chair virtually participated at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting (AMM) along the margins of COP26 this morning.

While delivering his keynote address at session two of the AMM, the Forum Chair shared with the Ministerial audience the Pacific’s perspectives on recovery from COVID-19, the challenges of re-opening of borders and mobility, the need for progress on climate change and the sustainability of the Pacific oceans.

Prime Minister Bainimarama said he and his fellow Pacific leaders in attendance are pressing for stronger climate ambition, aggressive climate action and vastly increased climate finance to ensure the future of all of humanity.

“I am privileged to represent the voice of our Pacific family today, and I thank the Honourable Mahuta, for the opportunity to address this August body today as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum.”

 “I would like to share Pacific perspectives on the issues confronting us all, especially as we work together in our recovery from the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 and in the face of the climate change crisis,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the Pacific Vuvale, the Forum Chair said the Pacific nations are the custodians of the world’s largest, most peaceful and abundant ocean, its many islands and its rich diversity of cultures.

This is a role taken seriously by the Pacific nations and it is with this in mind that the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent was developed.

The strategy is intended to drive the Pacific region’s strategic interests and development priorities over the longer term.

Recognising that the Ocean is not just the water that surrounds us all but the heart of the Pacific cultures and economies, the Forum Chair informed the audience of the Forum Leaders launch of the Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones in the Face of Climate Change-related Sea-Level Rise.

The Declaration which was launched on the eve of Thursday 4 November is a landmark instrument that makes clear that the Pacific nations will not allow the loss of legal entitlements or challenged due to sea-level rise.

“The health of the Pacific is the responsibility of every nation because protecting the health of the Pacific is in every nation’s interest. So we seek the collaboration of others in our efforts to safeguard the health of our ocean, including our collective fisheries resources,” said the Forum Chair.

The Forum Chair in his remarks also said that world leaders, like Pacific leaders, must not only affirm that climate change is the single greatest threat facing all humanity. They must act with great urgency to keep the 1.5-degree temperature goal of the Paris Agreement within reach adding that all countries must commit to net-zero emissions by 2050 and finalise the Rulebook for the Paris Agreement.

After climate change, the second great challenge the Pacific faces is COVID-19 which has hit every one of its members by the devastating economic consequences.

 For many of the Forum members, border closures mean the tourism sector is effectively shuttered, which has been a massive blow to the GDP of tourism-dependant economies in the region.

“Like APEC economies, then, the Pacific’s overwhelming priority has been getting our people vaccinated so that we can return to some form of normality. In these times, bilateral, multilateral and regional cooperation has never been more critical,” he said.

According to the Forum Chair, forum members have worked together as leaders and ministers to respond to the pandemic, including the establishment of a Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19 to facilitate the movement of essential medical supplies and personnel. As the Pacific looks to reopen, a regional approach is being explored to harmonise vaccine certification.

The Forum Chair concluded his remarks by conveying the Pacific Vuvale’s gratitude to nations and multilateral institutions that have provided support, including direct budget support and concessional financing arrangements to weather the COVID-19 crisis.

“We look forward to working closely with APEC economies to not only manage the risks associated with new high levels of debt, but also re-think how debt should be assessed.”

“The strength of regionalism is key to the collective action required to tackle the challenges of today. No nation can really go it alone, no matter how large or powerful. But for us, regional solidarity and cooperation is a kind of lifeblood. Regionalism gives us all the advantages of scale, and it helps us forge a strength we don’t have alone.”