At the World Islands Forum during #UNOC3, Fiji’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Mosese Bulitavu, delivered a strong statement on the ocean and climate nexus.
“For island nations like ours, vulnerability is not a headline; it is a lived experience,” he said, calling on global leaders to engage in meaningful partnership with SIDS and take action to protect and deliver against SIDS priorities.
Minister Bulitavu highlighted the urgent need for global climate finance instruments to better serve the needs and realities of highly exposed and vulnerable nations and communities.
Minister Bulitavu illustrated bold steps taken in Fiji to trial green and blue bonds, invest in nature-based solutions, expand low-cost insurance offerings to cover climate and disaster events, and build resilience through the establishment of new regional financing arrangements such as the Pacific Resilience Facility. These efforts, he stressed, are not abstract—they are urgent lifelines for communities facing the brunt of climate impacts.
Through efforts to improve marine spatial planning and sustain a holistic approach to marine governance through the implementation of the National Ocean Policy, Fiji is demonstrating leadership grounded in science and traditional knowledge. In a call to action, Minister Bulitavu stated:
“We ask not for charity but for fairness. Not for sympathy, but for solidarity.”