REMARKS: DSG Esala Nayasi at 81st Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Chair
Excellencies
Honourable members
Distinguished delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honoured to address you at the eighty-first session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and to have the opportunity to share reflections on our Blue Pacific policy priorities for inclusive and sustainable development.
I thank UNESCAP for your continued commitment to the Pacific Region’s delivering inclusive, sustainable and resilient development outcomes for our Pacific Peoples.

Our global context is rapidly evolving. At the regional level, as we work to rebuild our economies following the COVID-19 pandemic, we now face global trade tensions.

There is a shifting landscape of development assistance at a time when critical resources are required to confront the impacts of Climate Change.

We also acutely feel the results of increased transnational crime activity, which is impacting our communities. These challenges sit alongside an increased geopolitical focus on our Blue Pacific.

In the face of such uncertainty, our policy priorities for our region remains grounded in our long-term plan for our people, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
Our vision as articulated by our Leaders for ‘a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives’  remains our North Star amongst this uncertainty.

Chair, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates,
Our partnership with UNESCAP has been instrumental in advancing inclusive and sustainable development across our Blue Pacific Continent. This includes supporting the establishment of the Pacific Resilience Facility, which was prominently showcased earlier this week. The Pacific Resilience Facility is our own climate and disaster preparedness fund, designed by the Pacific, for Pacific communities. It will provide timely and predictable funding for community-led climate adaptation and disaster preparedness projects across the region.

We also recognise UNESCAP’s technical support in the development of the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility, which was endorsed by Leaders at their meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. 
This landmark framework provides the first comprehensive regional approach to addressing the complex challenges of migration, displacement, and planned relocation driven by climate change. Through the leadership of Fiji and Tuvalu, the development of an implementation plan is now taking shape.

Additionally, the Pacific Roadmap for Economic Development was recently endorsed by the Forum Economic Ministers Meeting. We thank UNESCP for the technical support provided during the roadmaps development. 
We are now seeking development partners to align their support with the implementation of PRED, in recognition of its critical role in advancing a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient Blue Pacific economy.

Chair, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates,
The 2030 Agenda has provided a critical platform to lift global ambition for sustainable development.  With five years remaining, we must both accelerate progress to achieve our targets, while also looking beyond 2030 to consider if our development instruments, and approaches are sufficient to meet the challenges of our future.

A significant milestone in ensuring global development policy tools recognise and address unique and structural vulnerabilities of our Pacific region, is the UNGA endorsement of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI).
Our Pacific policy priorities for 2030, set the foundations for the transformative change we seek in our 2050 vision.  We have embarked on work to strengthen our regional architecture, deliver impact through regional collective actions and deepen Pacific regionalism.

In parallel, we are progressing policy priorities that are key to sustainable development outcomes. This includes consultations on an ocean of peace declaration which will be considered by our leaders at their meeting in September.

To achieve our 2050 vision, partnerships that are strategically aligned to our priorities are critical. In this regard, I look forward to continued partnerships as intended through this convening here today and welcome regional and subregional cooperation we have with ASEAN and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

To UNESCAP,  the executive secretary, thank you again for this opportunity and our important partnership, and we look forward to continuing to work with you for a more resilient Blue Pacific.

ENDS