PS FOR ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE CHANGE DR SIVENDRA MICHAEL'S OPENING REMARKS - PACIFIC CORAL REEF PARTNER DIALOGUE

Development Partners, 

Colleagues,

Friends,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Ni sa bula vinaka and a very warm welcome to you all.
 
It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this dialogue. On behalf of the Government of Fiji and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, I would like to thank you for making your time available to join us as we come together to build on the outcomes and shared intent of the United Nations Ocean Conference and reaffirm our collective commitment to protecting and sustaining our ocean.
 
In the Pacific, the ocean is our lifeblood – our sustenance. It feeds us, connects us, protects us, and defines us. For Fiji, and for our neighbours across the Blue Pacific, the ocean is deeply intertwined with our identity, our economy, and critical to defining our resilience in the face of a changing climate.
 
UNOC3 served as a platform to remind the world that Pacific Island Countries are not passive stakeholders - we are ocean leaders. We demonstrated this leadership in multiple ways. For example, through French Polynesia’s creation of the world’s largest Marine Protected Area and the ratification of the BBNJ agreement by Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu[DL1] .
 
But our leadership can only be sustained through partnership and increased coordination around our shared objectives.
 
That’s why today’s meeting is so important. As we return from global forums like UNOC, we must ensure that our global commitments are translated into regional and local action—guided by Pacific priorities, underpinned by the work of Pacific marine scientists, defined by community voices, and implemented through strong, genuine and equitable partnerships.
 
Whether it's advancing marine spatial planning, tackling illegal fishing, investing in ocean science, or calling for impactful financial ocean investment that is tailored to SIDS-specific needs and realities, we are more effective when we speak and act together.
 
Fiji remains firmly committed to our regional frameworks, including the Pacific Coral Reef Action Plan and we continue to work closely with our partners—regional bodies such as SPREP and partners who respect our sovereignty and amplify our voice.
 
Colleagues, friends—
Let us use this space—not only to exchange ideas—but to forge new partnerships, strengthen old ties and leverage cohesion between the initiatives that are already in play. 
 
Let our conversations today be grounded in the spirit of talanoa—open, honest, and respectful—and let our actions be guided by the wisdom of our people, the building blocks of science and the hopes of our future generations.
 
On behalf of the Government of Fiji, I welcome you once again, and I officially open this important event.
 
Vinaka vakalevu, and may we have a productive and inspiring day ahead.