Fiji has reaffirmed its commitment to the Commonwealth family.
Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, in his meeting with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, Baroness Patricia Scotland along the margins of COP26 today, said partnership and active engagement is critical during this challenging and unprecedented time.
In highlighting Fiji's engagements with the Commonwealth, the Prime Minister said arrangements like the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) is a strong step in the right direction, assisting small states in untangling the red tape around climate financing.
Through the Commonwealth Secretariat, Climate Finance advisers have been deployed to 11 countries, providing technical assistance to our climate change institutions. The hub has mobilised climate finance worth US$43.8 million in six developing countries.
By this means, Prime Minister Bainimarama called on the expansion of the scope of such arrangements for the benefit of the wider Commonwealth family, especially Small Island States.
The Secretary-General commended Prime Minister Bainimarama's partnership at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) hosted by the United Kingdom. She acknowledged Fiji’s commitment to the Commonwealth Blue Charter and support towards the Secretariat. She also took the opportunity to congratulate Prime Minister Bainimarama for assuming the role of the Pacific Islands Forum Chair.
Other discussions between the Prime Minister and the Secretary-General included the need for Commonwealth members to preserve land particularly those that have more ocean than land, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) partnerships and Blue Bonds.
As champion for the Action Group on Oceans and Climate Change, the Prime Minister said that we have committed to stronger Nationally-Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement and our National Adaptation Plan maps out a multi-billion-dollar effort to strengthen our climate resilience.
Additionally, as Chair of the Commonwealth Ministers Meeting on Small States, Prime Minister Bainimarama added that Fiji remains committed to advocating and promoting important issues for Small States and that he was pleased to extend his appreciation in person to the Commonwealth Secretariat in its priorities for Small Island Developing States.
The Head of the Fijian Government also informed the Secretary-General that he looks forward to the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in June 2022 in Kigali.