President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere is urging the global community to uphold multilateralism and accelerate climate finance.

He has stressed the need for greater adaptation and mitigation support especially for small island states.

While delivering his address at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ratu Wiliame highlighted Fiji’s vulnerability to climate change, noting that sea-level rise threatens to displace 240 coastal communities by 2050.

The President reaffirms Fiji’s leadership in addressing climate-induced displacement as 42 communities already in urgent need of relocation.

“With the limitation of the multilateral climate financing architecture, Fiji has established the world’s first national relocation trust fund to support our relocation costs. We have issued domestic and international green and blue bonds, piloted low-cost parametric insurance products for rural communities, and engaged in the private sector in climate resilience building. We call on our development partners to support our efforts.”

President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere [Source: Fiji Government]

Ratu Wiliame is also urging countries to meet commitments made at COP27 and COP28 especially regarding the Loss and Damage Fund which is vital for vulnerable communities like those in Fiji.

“Fiji reiterates the importance of understanding the vast ocean space, guided by science and data, in order to undertake risk-informed decisions. As the global community prepares for the climate COP in Baku, Azerbaijan, we call on countries to work together with the United Nations to implement the outcomes of the global stock undertaken in COP28.”

The President also highlighted the creation of the first national relocation trust fund, which is designed to support the relocation of affected communities.