Ratu Inoke Kubuabola,
Minister for Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

Opening Address:
UNFCCC expert meeting to consider future needs, including capacity needs associated with possible approaches to address slow onset events
12–14 September 2013, Sheraton Resort, Nadi, Fiji
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Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Good morning!

On behalf of the People and Government of the Republic of Fiji, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all. Many of you have travelled very far to come here and I am grateful to your commitment and dedication.

We are gathering here today to discuss the future needs associated with possible approaches to address slow onset events, under the UNFCCC’s work programme on loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries. For this, Nadi could not be a more fitting venue for our deliberation. As some of you may remember, Fiji suffered the most severe flooding in its history during January and April 2012, with Nadi and nearby areas in Western Fiji bearing the blunt of the socio-economic and environmental devastation, from which we are still recovering.

Although the attribution of specific extreme weather events to climate change remains a focus of scientific debate, we have been observing and experiencing these events in higher frequency and increasing intensity. In addition to destructive extreme weather events, climate related slow onset events, such as sea level rise, ocean acidification and rising sea surface water, have wide ranging and profound impacts on our society and economy. Facing encroaching waters, entire villages in parts of my country have to be relocated, with significant social, economic and environmental consequences. In addition, these events threaten the integrity and functioning of ecosystems, especially marine and coastal ecosystems. This has severe implications for Fiji’s economic development with the country’s dependence upon natural resources for its primary industries of fisheries, forestry and agriculture.

Confronted with the additional challenges of delivering socio-economic development to its people under a changing climate, the Government of Fiji, working closely with its regional and international partners, has been at the forefront of taking concrete climate change actions. Through a thorough consultative process, we launched our National Climate Change Policy in March 2012. The Policy outlines a process for mainstreaming of climate change related impacts into all line ministries. While striving to guide the national efforts to promote the development of renewable energy resources, the Policy places the reduction of vulnerability and enhancing of resilience to climate change impacts of Fiji’s communities squarely at the centre of the national climate change response. In addition, we are now in the final stages of adopting a relocation guideline that will accompany the Policy and help Government manage the imminent challenge of climate-induced migration within Fiji’s borders.

In addition to rigorous domestic actions, Fiji has been actively engaged in regional and global climate change discourses. In particularly, Fiji was given the honor of chairing the Group of 77 and China for 2013. The G77 provides the means for the developing countries to articulate and promote collective economic interests and enhance joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system. It also actively promotes South-South cooperation for development.

Regionally, Fiji works continuously with its fellow Pacific island countries in developing and implementing regional climate change strategies, and in providing the international community strong and unified perspectives on how best to address the global challenge of climate change through genuine partnership and collaboration. Only last month, Fiji hosted the inaugural meeting of the Pacific Islands Development Forum. For the first time in the Pacific, a forum was established that brings together high-level representatives from Pacific Island Governments and territories, civil society, private sector and our development partners with the focus on ‘sustainable development’. The meeting was very successful and came up with new innovative ways and strategies to effectively address sustainable development in the Pacific.

Like many small island developing states, Fiji's capacity to respond to climate change is often constrained by economic, financial and technological resources. On one hand, the Fijian Government has to help communities to relocate to escape the rising sea level. At the same time, our country is still rebuilding and recovering from severe flooding that devastated its towns, communities and infrastructure earlier this year. These are realities that urge and guide our efforts in working with partners of the international community towards an international mechanism to address loss and damage arising from the adverse impacts of climate change.

In this connection, the Government and people of Fiji are honored to host this critically important expert meeting here in Nadi. I hope the naturally healing surroundings of Nadi will help you recover from your demanding travels, and our beautiful but highly vulnerable islands will provide you with abundant energy, compassion and inspirations as you start your deliberations.

Once again, welcome to Fiji. I wish you well in your deliberations and a very productive and pleasant stay in my country!

Thank you!