Fijian Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum arrived in New York City for a series of high-level meetings and speaking engagements this week, where he will be speaking at the esteemed High-level Political Forum (HLPF), an annual gathering at the United Nations Headquarters where a select group of nations from around the globe are chosen to present their progress in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
On the first day of meetings, the Attorney-General met with leaders of various Fijian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), who voiced their shared goal of breaking down barriers and collaborating more closely with Government –– and each other –– to achieve real outcomes that will uplift the Fijian people.
The breakfast dialogue, which took place at the Fiji Permanent Mission to the United Nations, was hosted by Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Satyendra Prasad, who stressed that this has already proven to be a remarkable year for Fiji at the UN, and the history-making progress that has been marked over the past year has led to immense momentum for Fiji on the world’s most prominent stage for multilateralism.
Noting that constructive feedback from CSOs was paramount to meaningful progress, the Attorney-General encouraged those in attendance to continue to think outside of the box to encourage change, and build upon open dialogue by directly engaging with government to help the nation achieve its SDGs.
Immediately following his meeting with CSOs, the Attorney-General attended a bilateral meeting with Dag Inge Ulstein, Norway’s Minister of International Development, where the two discussed ways that Fiji and Norway could more closely work together to help preserve the health of our oceans –– a shared point of passion for both countries.
The Attorney-General and Minister Ulstein discussed ways that knowledge-sharing could benefit Fiji’s efforts to make the shipping industry in the Pacific more environmentally-friendly, and how Norway could take a leadership role in helping Fiji develop its recently-announced Relocation Trust Fund –– a first-of-its-kind initiative that is being established to help seaside Fijian communities that are vulnerable to rising sea levels transition to new locations and new livelihoods, while delicately balancing the psychological stress and emotional trauma that comes with abandoning a generations-held home due to climate change.
Continuing their commitment to oceans health, both Minister Ulstein and Attorney-General Sayed-Khaiyum then joined a side event that was attended by representatives from various Pacific Small Island Developing States.
In addition to the leaders from Fiji and Norway, panelists for the talanoa-style dialogue included Portugal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Francisco António Duarte Lopes, and Vanuatu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ralph Regenvanu. Chaired by Ambassador Prasad, and attended by distinguished leaders including Fiji’s Peter Thomson, the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Ocean, and Professor Edvard Hviding of Norway’s University of Bergen –– among many Pacific Island representatives –– the meeting emphasised the need to reset the global conversation on climate change to focus on our oceans by mainstreaming this critical issue into future UN negotiations.
The week in New York is set to include over a dozen other high-level events, meetings and presentations with world leaders, including the Attorney-General’s presentation of Fiji’s Voluntary National Review of its SDGs to the United Nations.