HE PRESIDENT RT. WILIAME KATONIVERE'S KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE 65TH ASIA PACIFIC ORGANISATION WORKSHOP MEETING 2024 – WELCOME DINNER

The Asia Productivity Organisation Secretary-General, Dr. Indra Pradana Singawinata,
The Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto,
The Minister for Employment, Productivity and Workplace Relations, Honourable Agni Deo Singh,
The Chairman of the Asia Productivity Organisation and Permanent Secretary for Employment, Productivity, and Workplace Relations, Mr. Maritino Nemani,
The Heads of National Productivity Organisations and Advisers from the Members of Asia Productivity Organisations,
Attending Observers,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen, and
Members of the Media.
 
Bula Vinaka and Good Evening to you all.
 
I extend a warm welcome to all delegates present here this evening at the Asian Productivity Organisation’s 65th Workshop Meeting welcome dinner.
 
As Head of State, I especially acknowledge the Secretary-General of the Asian Productivity Organisation, the Chairman of the APO, all Heads of Productivity Agencies, as well as international Advisors and Observers. It is equally my honour to be invited to deliver my remarks at this Welcome Dinner.
 
It is encouraging to note that Fiji was handed the Chairmanship of the APO at its 66th Governing Body Meeting that was held in Malaysia in May of this year. I understand that Fiji is the lone Pacific Island nation member of the Asian Productivity Organisation. As the holder of the Chairmanship and member, I hope it inspires Pacific Island nations to come onboard and absorb the dynamism and innovation known to our Asian partners.
 
Tonight, amidst the picturesque setting provided by Sofitel Resort on the island of Denarau, and in the presence of esteemed delegates, allow me to speak briefly on the environmental challenges faced by Fiji and Pacific Island States, as well as the importance of multilateralism in addressing these challenges.
 
Pacific Island States, most of which are low-lying islands, are increasingly at the mercy of irreversible climate change impacts and rising sea levels. Our island nations continue to also grapple with the impacts of climate-induced disasters. These disasters have devastating roll-on effects on island ecosystems and vulnerable communities, and responding to disasters is costly for small, developing island nations, Fiji included.
 
Debt is costly to service. Infrastructure is equally costly. Overseas Development Assistance from partners such as Japan is crucial, as evidenced by initiatives such as the continued support extended by the Pacific Climate Change Centre, and ongoing discussions on elevating the Fiji Meteorological Service to function as one of the World Meteorological Organization’s Regional Instrument Centres.
 
While ODA is vital, climate financing beyond it, is urgently needed. By 2050, around 240 of our coastal communities will be displaced due to rising sea levels. Forty-two communities are in urgent need of relocation. I believe that it is not an overstatement to say that the situation is dire.
 
To manage these threats and pass on the environmental inheritance owed to future generations, effective collaboration among all stakeholders is critical. This includes government, the private sector, development partners, and civil society.
 
Intense, rapid, sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions must be vigorously pursued and accelerated. The international community has developed an awareness of these concerns in recent years, and following the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals, more than 140 countries have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by year 2050. We have a common vision for a sustainable future. How we achieve this vision will depend on the efforts we undertake.
 
Fiji has been at the forefront and firing on all cylinders in our climate change response. We have issued domestic and international green and blue bonds, piloted low-cost parametric insurance products for rural communities, and engaged the private sector for climate resilience support. In view of the limitations of the multilateral climate financing architecture, Fiji has also established the world’s first national Relocation Trust Fund to support our relocation costs.
 
However, actions by individual countries are not enough. To quote Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them in the first place.” Runaway greenhouse gas emissions that are at the root of climate change are a product of individual countries pursuing industrialization policies during the Industrial Revolution.
 
These emissions are collectively released into the atmosphere, with the result that climate change is now a worldwide problem that can only be addressed with international cooperation on agreed solutions such as Green Productivity.
 
As early as 1994, Professor Ryoichi Yamamoto, an eminent scientist from Japan, conceived the Green Productivity or GP as a way for businesses to attain higher levels of productivity for serving the needs of society, while also protecting the environment.

Professor Yamamoto believed that through the systemic measurement of both the economic output and environmental impact of businesses, continual improvements can be made to increase the first while limiting the second.
 
This focus on measurement and quantification to improve the bottom lines of businesses from the social, environmental, and economic perspectives, appealed to businesses and is the reason for Green Productivity’s continuing success.
 
I am, therefore, greatly encouraged by the invitation extended by the Science and Technology Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Professor Yoichiro Matsumoto, for Fiji to contribute to the APO’s Green Productivity platform through the Green Productivity Advisory Council, of which Professor Yamamoto is the Chair.
 
Fiji’s commitment to multilateralism is unwavering. We will offer our full support to discussions that foster mutual understanding and collaboration to achieve shared goals, such as during this Workshop Meeting of the Asian Productivity Organisation. We will support international platforms addressing climate change, such as the UN Conference of the Parties and the APO GP Advisory Council. We also will continue to work closely with the APO and its members to advance efforts to achieve prosperity through productivity.
 
Together, let us harness the power of productivity to protect our shared planet. I wish you all a productive Workshop Meeting and I look forward to seeing the outcomes of your discussions.
 
Vinaka Vakalevu and Thank You. May God bless us all.