Kreetika Kumar 
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad at COP29
It is vital to ensure that the discussions at COP29 set the foundation for a world where every community can thrive despite their challenges.
This has been highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad during a high-level session on “Pacific Youth on Climate Mobility” at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Professor Prasad says the discussions at the Climate Mobility Pavilion are crucial as millions are at risk of displacement from rising sea levels, severe weather, and other climate threats.
He adds that this is not a distant threat but a daily reality for communities in low-lying nations and vulnerable regions.
Professor Prasad says through international cooperation and innovative solutions, we must work to preserve cultural heritage, protect maritime zones, and adopt frameworks ensuring continuity of statehood and rights in the face of existential climate threats.
He adds that young people are on the frontlines as those being impacted and, most importantly, as agents of change driving resilience and hope.
The DPM says that in Fiji he has seen leadership from young people as Fiji developed its Standard Operating Procedures for planned relocation, a process that guides the Fiji Government’s commitment to effectively respond to the
increasing need for the relocation of its communities, driven by the impacts of climate change.
