FIJI CALLS FOR GLOBAL ACTION TO SUPPORT DIGNIFIED CLIMATE MOBILITY AT COP30 BELÉM, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 10, 2025

11/11/2025

Fiji’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Mosese Bulitavu, has called on global leaders to act with greater urgency, compassion, and solidarity to support communities already facing displacement due to the worsening impacts of climate change.

Speaking at a high-level dialogue on “Enabling Positive Adaptation Journeys” at the Climate Mobility Pavilion during COP30 in Belém, Minister Bulitavu said that for Fiji and other small island developing states, climate mobility is no longer a future concern but a present reality.

“Communities are already losing their ancestral lands, livelihoods, and cultural heritage as sea levels rise and coastlines recede,” the Minister said. “This is not a distant risk. It is the lived experience of our people and it demands a collective and compassionate response.”
 
The Minister emphasized that climate mobility must be approached not as a story of loss, but as an opportunity to safeguard dignity, security, and hope for those most affected. He urged the global community to ensure that when people are forced to move, they do so safely, fairly, and with dignity.

Minister Bulitavu outlined four key priorities to support communities facing climate-induced displacement:
 
Regional Cooperation - He commended the Pacific’s leadership through regional frameworks such as the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility and the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, which guide collective action to manage displacement and cross-border mobility in a way that reflects shared values and Pacific solidarity.
 
National Action: He shared examples of how Fiji has taken proactive steps through its Climate Change Act 2021, which enshrines rights and safeguards for affected communities. For example, the Standard Operating Procedures for Planned Relocation, which ensures that communities are relocated with care and respect. He reiterated that Fiji’s NDC 3.0 integrates climate mobility into national development planning, with a focus on sustainable livelihoods and long-term resilience.
 
Evidence-Based Planning: Hon. Bulitavu underscored the importance of robust data and research in shaping fair and effective adaptation strategies. Fiji’s Comprehensive Risk and Vulnerability Assessment and its pioneering work on Non-Economic Loss and Damage Assessment provide critical insights into how policies can protect not only assets but also culture, identity, and community cohesion.
 
Partnerships and Financing: Highlighting the Climate Relocation of Communities Trust Fund, the Minister noted that this model demonstrates how financing can empower affected communities to lead their own relocation processes. However, he cautioned that current global funding remains far from adequate.
 
“We call for dedicated, predictable, and accessible funding for climate mobility within the global adaptation finance framework,” he urged. “Every nation has a role to play in ensuring that climate mobility is managed with justice and humanity.”
 
Closing his remarks, Minister Bulitavu appealed to the moral conscience of the international community He stated “our goal is simple yet profound — to ensure that those affected by climate change retain their dignity, agency, and hope. Positive adaptation journeys must be defined not by displacement and despair, but by resilience, empowerment, and opportunity.”
 
Hon. Bulitavu reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to advancing a global vision anchored in solidarity and shared humanity. He called on all countries to defend the right of communities to stay, their right to move with dignity, and above all, a right to a future where no one is left behind.
 
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