Written by Dame Meg Taylor
Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum
17 April 2020
In the Pacific we aspire to endurance and sustainability. But progress is difficult to sustain when we face multiple threats that reverse decades of development gains in a matter of hours or days.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global public health emergency of unprecedented scale, posing extreme danger to the health and security of our Pacific people. Never before has a crisis impacted so directly on all 18 Members of the Pacific Islands Forum.
Answering the UN Secretary-General’s Call on Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19
Statement by 124 UN Member States and Observers - 8 April 2020
"We strongly support the appeal by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19.
As more countries report infection and lockdown, domestic violence helplines and shelters across the world are reporting rising calls for help. Victims and survivors have no means of escape when violence occurs in the place they are being told to take shelter: at home.
Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have invoked the Biketawa Declaration, to collectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a major crisis to The Blue Pacific – its peoples, wellbeing and economies.
As an immediate priority, Forum Foreign Ministers met virtually yesterday to establish a Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19, following two weeks of consultation with senior officials, regional agencies and development agencies through the Forum.
Funafuti, Tuvalu: The outcome of the recent climate negotiations at COP 25 in Madrid, Spain was utterly disappointing, the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Hon Kausea Natano, said today.
“The lack of ambition and urgency on climate action emanating from COP 25 is very concerning, particularly for those of us Small Islands Nations on the front lines of the climate crisis that is confronting us now.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres flew from Fiji to Tuvalu on Friday, 17 May 2019.
The new Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations, Samuelu Laloniu, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
A career diplomat, Mr. Laloniu was most recently High Commissioner to New Zealand since 2015, having previously served as Consul General in Auckland between 2010 and 2014.
For six months between 2009 and 2010, he served as Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, and as Deputy High Commissioner to Fiji from 2006 to 2009.
Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the UN receives a cheque from his counterpart, Permanent Representative of Kuwait; for the recovery activities from Tropical Cyclone Pam.
Permanent Representative of Tuvalu to the United Nations, Ambassador Aunese Makoi Simati receiving a Cheque from Ambassador Vato of Georgia for TC Pam Recovery and Rehabilitation work.
Formalizing Diplomatic ties between Tuvalu and Poland
