HONORABLE. MR.TIMOCI LESIKIVATUKOULA NATUVA
MINISTER FOR WORKS, TRANSPORT AND PUBLIC UTILITIES

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Second Pacific Regional Energy and Transport Minister’s Meeting, Nadi, Fiji


SOFITEL HOTEL NADI
04thApril 2014
 1000 Hours

Salutation

Honourable Cabinet Ministers of SPC member countries,
Your Excellencies,
Director General of SPC,
Representatives from participating SPC member countries and other agencies,
Development Partners,
Distinguished guest,
Ladies and Gentlemen

A very Good Morning to you All. I send you greetings and best wishes from the Government and people of Fiji.

I am deeply honored to be able to join this morning, to participate in the discussion and closing of the Second Pacific Regional Meeting of Energy and Transport Minister here in Nadi the first to be ever hosted by Fiji in partnership with Secretariat of the Pacific Community, SPC. I thank you all for your active participation in the last few days.

Fellow Ministers and officials, I know you have gone through a three days of grueling discussions on energy and transport matters that have direct impact on our collective pursuit for achieving sustainable development in the Pacific island countries. I commend you All for your hard work, patience and perseverance in this matter in the spirit of consensus building mutual respect and understanding through the Pacific Way, through God’s blessings.

Towards this end, the Holy Bible says that “there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.” There is a beginning and there is an end to everything in life. All good things must come to an end.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in the last few days, we have gathered here at the Sofitel in Nadi discussing issues on Transport and Energy that affects us all here in the Pacific. We have discussed development challenges in these two sectors that affect sustainable development to the Pacific Island countries. Some of these challenges are easy to address while some are not so easy. But with consultative dialogue and collaborative effort through consensus building in the Pacific Way, we have at least achieved some measured of success in our discussion.

Ladies and Gentlemen, given the current global challenges that confront us all as Pacific people, it tells us that the world that we live now here in the Pacific, is no longer what it used to be centuries ago. Due to climate change, our Pacific countries are more vulnerable now than before. Our vulnerability is no longer a secret. With the rising cost on fossil fuels, the greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of climate change and the subsequent rising sea levels and its effect on food security and water, it re-emphasizes the fact that we need to work together and in collaboration with each other so that we can chart a better Roadmap for the sustainable development of our people and countries. We need to be united in our collective effort to have a progressive clean and sustainable Pacific environment for our people. At the same time, we need to have a collective voice at the global forum in our efforts to articulate important development issues that affect our people. It is only through consultative dialogue in this kind of international meeting through the Pacific Way of consensus building that we can be able to build a stronger and sustainable Pacific community for the sake of our people and future generations.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in the last three days, we have been tasked to discuss important development issues on transport and energy and at the same time put in place some strategies and Roadmap that can assist in the sustainable development of our people. In this context, the two key sectors of energy and transport are not only key drivers of our economy, they also pose the great challenges for our sustainable development as Pacific people in the context of Small Island States in the Pacific region.

In coming together in this international forum it allows us to collectively approach these issues on consultative basis to determine the best way forward for tackling these issues. We need to learn from each other. We need to take stock of the best international practices and seek areas for economic gains that can create economic opportunity to our competitive advantage and build resilience to address our vulnerabilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in the past three days we have discussed widely withour international experts, development partners and industry stakeholders on key important issues on energy and transport services and how they impact on our sustainable development agenda. In looking through the discussions, I noted with much interest, some important milestones have been discussed and agreed to at this conference. These include:

• The establishment of a Pacific Regional Data Repository;
• Establishment of a Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
• Agreeing to a Data Sharing Agreement for the Region to address information gap in maritime transport for the Pacific
• Taking stock of the funding and work undertaken by development partners.
• Strengthening Capacities in various areas in Energy and Transport sectors in the Pacific region.
• Possibility of having a storage facility for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the Pacific from gas supply produced by Papua New Guinea for the benefit of Pacific Communities so that they can get cheap source of fuel for electricity as well as transport.
• Establishment of a Central Shipping Commission for the benefit of the Small Island States, and many others.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as we chart the course for the future, we have to put in place relevant strategies that are needed to address concerns in energy and transport. However, before we move forward it is essential that we know where we are. Therefore, the importance of having accurate data is fundamental in this important process. Having accurate data will allow us to put in place strategies that are more targeted to achieve those important milestones for sustainable development for our people.

I also note with great interest, the stock taking exercise with respect to Donor activities in the region. This is also another important exercise. There is a need for more sharing of information such that we don’t replicate and unnecessarily crowd this important space but such that we can achieve results and make a difference to the lives of the people of the Pacific, to achieve sustainable development in the long term bearing in mind our collective consensus on these issues through the Pacific Way.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I know you have covered so many issues on sustainable development on transport and energy in your discussion in the last few days. But if this meeting is to be remembered, until the next meeting, perhaps two or three key outcomes of this meeting are to be considered as part of the Denarau Declaration of our Communiqué to be implemented in the not so distant future. That is the challenge that I pose for you today in closing this international meeting.

With those words Hon Ministers and Officials, I now have great pleasure in declaring this Second Pacific Regional Transport and Energy Meeting closed.

I wish you all a safe journey back to your home countries.

Ni sa Moce & Good Bye to you All.

Vinaka Vakalevu