The Peoples’ Coalition Cabinet held its 16th meeting of 2024 on Monday 23 September 2024. The decisions of Cabinet include the following:
FIJI NATIONAL FISHERIES POLICY 2024 – 2028
Cabinet endorsed the National Fisheries Policy 2024–2028.
The policy provides a strategic framework for managing Fiji’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors, with a focus on sustainability, economic growth, and food security.
Strategies in the policy for specific sectors are as follows:
Offshore Fisheries: Develop management plans, update legislation, support industry growth, and conduct strategic research;
Aquaculture: Promote sustainable practices, modernise legislation, and adopt environmentally friendly approaches;
Coastal and Inland Fisheries: Focus on community-based management, update legislation, and support small-scale fisheries; and
Cross-Sectoral Issues: Address marine spatial management, gender and youth involvement, environmental policies, and the intersection with tourism.
The policy is the result of extensive stakeholder consultations and aligns with national objectives and international commitments.
NOMINATION OF FIJI ADVOCACY CHAMPION UNDER UNITED NATIONS – COMMONWEALTH JOINT ADVOCACY STRATEGY FOR DECADE OF ACTION AND COMMONWEALTH LIVING LANDS CHARTER THEMATIC WORKING GROUP
Cabinet agreed that Hon. Alitia Bainivalu, Minister for Fisheries and Forestry, be appointed as the Advocacy Champion for the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter – A Commonwealth Call to Action on Living Lands (CALL) strategy.
The CALL was officially adopted at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2022. It aims to:
-Safeguard global land resources;
-Take coordinated action to address climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation or desertification; and
-Promote climate-resilient and sustainable land management.
Hon. Bainivalu will work to advance these issues with various advocacy champions including those in the Pacific region like New Zealand, Tonga, Australia and Samoa.
She will also support the CALL as champion for thematic working group on ‘Indigenous People and Local Communities and Climate Resilient Development’.
GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK EARLY ACTION SUPPORT PROJECT
Cabinet approved the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) - Early Action Support Project, through funding support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the largest multilateral trust fund focused on enabling developing countries to invest in nature and supports the implementation of major international environmental conventions including on biodiversity, climate change, chemicals, and desertification.
Fiji has secured this project to review its priority biodiversity focus areas under Fiji’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2020 – 2025 and to align it to the new Biodiversity targets under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
The project will adopt a whole of society and whole of government approach through an Interministerial NBSAP dialogue; and consultations with relevant key stakeholders and partners in government, civil societies, non-governmental organizations, regional organizations, resource owners and academic institutions.
The project is scheduled to conclude by 28 February 2025.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE TO DEVELOP AN INTERNATIONAL LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT ON PLASTIC POLLUTION, INCLUDING IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT
Cabinet approved an inter-agency approach for engagement in plastic pollution negotiations including in preparation for implementation of the proposed treaty at national level, and joining aligned groupings such as the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) to end plastic pollution.
Plastic pollution is a critical issue for Fiji. It not only impacts the environment but also carries social, economic, and health risks.
Fiji aims to ensure ambitious outcomes internationally while also working towards a comprehensive national strategy to combat plastic pollution.
- FIJI TO HOST 47TH REGIONAL NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE MEETING IN 2025
Cabinet agreed that Fiji host the 47th Regional National Representatives Meeting (NRM) of the Regional Cooperation Agreement for Research, Development, and Training, related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific (RCA) in May 2025.
The Intergovernmental RCA for Research, Development, and Training was created by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the governing body responsible for the development of its members in the Asia-Pacific region.
Fiji is the incoming Chair of the RCA meeting.