[Source: Fiji Government/ Facebook]

The French government is committed to ensuring that Fiji and the Pacific region will not be pushed aside during the UN Oceans Conference, which is set to take place in France next year.

This assurance was given by the Ambassador for Polar and Maritime Issues, Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, during a press conference yesterday afternoon in Suva.

The ambassador states that the bigger nations will take a backseat and allow for the concerns of the small island countries to be at the front.

“And now that definitely you will see that in the political declaration of the, we are writing already on the UNOC, the Pacific region will be clearly, it will be clearly written that that probably should be the guest of honor. And also, it’s impossible to do a conference on the ocean without you—absolutely impossible.”

He says that they will also give opportunities to youths, indigenous women, and civil society organizations to also be part of the discussions regarding ocean sustainability.

D’Arvor adds that a special day will be dedicated for the Pacific region at the conference to discuss initiatives and ideas that have been presented by the Pacific representatives.

The 2025 United Nations Oceans Conference will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9–13 June next year under the theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean.”