The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Inia Seruiratu joined a high-level Ministerial Meeting on Migration and Climate Change.
The focus for the meeting was on Small Island Developing States which was held in the margins of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly this past week.
Seruiratu spoke on the scientifically proven impacts of climate change on communities and its projections on displacement.
He noted the increasing international recognition of the adverse impacts of climate change, the frequency of its occurrence and the proactive actions taken in the region, enabled through mechanisms like the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific to address these impacts.
Seruiratu informed the meeting on the development of Fiji’s Planned Relocation Guideline; a guideline that aligns with other key national documents and international agreements that consider vulnerable groups within relocating communities.
He also provided an update on relocation programmes in Fiji.
Vunidogoloa and Tukuraki villages he noted have been fully relocated with three more, namely Vunisavisavi, Denimanu and Narikoso village partially relocated.
In addition, a project aimed at relocating Waciwaci Primary School in Lakeba, Lau is also currently underway.
Fiji and other Pacific Island countries are beneficiaries of two programmes that address the issue of displacement; ‘Enhancing Protection and Empowerment of Migrants and Communities Affected by Climate Change and Disasters in the Pacific region’ and ‘Understanding and enhancing preparedness and response to risks of disaster displacement in the Pacific’.
These two programmes are delivered through a partnership between IOM, ILO, IDMC, OHCHR and ESCAP and also through the Platform on Disaster Displacement and Pacific Island Forum Secretariat.
The programmes aim to benefit vulnerable community members whose mobility patterns and livelihoods are vulnerable to climate change.
The Minister reaffirmed that Fiji will continue to push and lobby for increased climate action, improved access to climate funding and more ambitious mitigation targets from developing nations for the sake of future generations.
Source - fbcnews
