MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE HON. MOSESE BULITAVU'S ADDRESS AT THE NATIONAL RESOURCE OWNERS COMMITTEE MEETING 2025

Representatives of Government Ministries,
Resource Owners from our Fourteen Provinces and Rotuma,
Provincial Conservation Officers,
Distinguished Guests, Partners, Ladies and Gentlemen —

Good evening and a warm bula vinaka to you all.

It is my great honour and privilege to be here and to officiate at the 2025 National Resource Owners Committee — a platform that speaks to the heart of who we are as custodians of our land, our waters, and the rich biodiversity that defines our identity as Fijians.

As many of you are aware, the National Resource Owners Committee (NROC) was established under Section 8(1) of the Environment Management Act 2005. It serves as a critical advisory body to the National Environment Council on matters that directly affect our environment and our natural resources — which, in many cases, are the backbone of our communities, our economy, and our culture.

The foundation of this committee is deeply rooted in principles of indigenous rights, as affirmed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ILO Convention 169, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. These frameworks recognize and uphold the rights of Indigenous communities to determine their own future and manage their natural resources sustainably.

Here at home, our Constitution guarantees all Fijians the right to a clean and healthy environment. Section 40 of the 2013 Constitution reinforces this, and it is echoed in the iTaukei Affairs Act, which calls for the wellbeing and good governance of our iTaukei people.

The Environment Management Act further recognises the intrinsic relationship between Indigenous Fijians and their ancestral lands, waters, sacred sites, and natural treasures.

The NROC is more than just a committee — it is a movement, a commitment, a voice for our resource owners. It brings together representatives from the 14 provinces of Fiji and Rotuma, Provincial Conservation Officers, our development partners, and relevant government ministries.

This year’s forum, generously supported by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and our development partners, serves a vital purpose.

We gather here today with a shared goal:
To dialogue, to learn, to empower, and to decide — as custodians of our vanua and resources.

Let me briefly share the objectives that guide our work:
1.  To create a safe and inclusive space for open dialogue on the sustainable management of our resources — especially at the provincial and community levels.

2.  To build capacity among resource owners in understanding policies and legislation that directly impact their land and waters.

3.  To enable informed decision-making, ensuring our communities are not only heard but are leading the way in determining how resources are used.

4.  To instill pride and a sense of duty — recognizing the invaluable role you all play in protecting our forests, rivers, reefs, and biodiversity.

5.  To keep you informed about available government tools, mechanisms, and programs that support sustainable management.

6.  To coordinate better with government institutions on monitoring, reporting, and addressing key challenges that affect your environment and your people.

To achieve this, we must recognize and work closely with our key partners — among them the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, the iTaukei Land Trust Board, and other critical arms of government, including the Ministries of Fisheries, Forestry, Lands, Mineral Resources, Agriculture, and Waterways.

Equally important are our civil society and academic partners — from NGOs such as the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Nature Fiji Mareqeti Viti, to research institutions like USP and FNU — who bring knowledge, technical expertise, and global perspectives.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Our natural resources are not just commodities — they are part of our vuvale, our yavu, our mana. They must be managed not just with wisdom, but with reverence.

As we move through the sessions in this forum, I encourage you all to dialogue and share your experiences, your concerns, your aspirations — for it is through talanoa, collaboration, and mutual understanding that we can truly safeguard the future for our children and generations to come.

Let us reaffirm our role not only as resource owners but as resource stewards, united in purpose and vision.

With that, I declare the 2025 National Resource Owners Committee officially open.

Vinaka vakalevu, and May your deliberations be fruitful a one.