PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM STATEMENT BY
HON. HU’AKAVAMEILIKU
PRIME MINISTER OF THE KINGDOM OF TONGA & CHAIR OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM
Summit of the Future: Plenary Session
Monday, 23 September 2024
General Assembly Hall
United Nations Headquarters
Mr. President
Distinguished Heads of State and Government
Secretary General
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
Mālō e lelei. Warm Greetings from the Blue Pacific Continent.
I address you in my role as Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum at this critical Summit of the Future.
The challenges we face are many, they are urgent, and they are interconnected. The Pact for the Future offers us a path forward.
This is a beacon of hope we all need at a time of escalating uncertainties. We appreciate the leadership from the Republic of Namibia and the Federal Republic of Germany over the past 18 months.
The Pact for the Future is introduced at a moment when there is a global demand for a more equitable, secure, and sustainable world for our future generations.
The Pact is a blueprint for how to get there.
The Pact recognizes the importance of conducting science, technology, and innovation ethically by ensuring we safeguard human rights.
The Pact commits to safeguarding our shared planet's resources and fostering an international order respecting human dignity and justice.
The decisions we make today will shape the future of our shared humanity. The 18 members of the Pacific Islands Forum are determined to be pro-active, and we will not leave our future to chance.
In 2022, the Pacific Islands Forum launched the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.
The strategy is the result of our vision of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity. Vision alone does not suffice - this is our solemn commitment to our peoples and future generations to build our common resilience, sustainability, and prosperity. The Blue Pacific Continent, our home, is under threat. Climate change, geopolitical tensions, and ever growing financial and economic disparities are testing our resilience.
We are determined to do everything necessary to move this vision to reality for our people but this depends largely on a stable, open, and prosperous international order based on the UN Charter. Our multilateral system must evolve, reflect our century and be able to address current and coming global challenges and regional vulnerabilities such as those of the Blue Pacific.
The world is witnessing a growing number of conflicts, which are being triggered by political instability, economic disparities, social tensions, and the impacts of the climate crisis. Peace is the foundation for Security. We in our Blue Pacific never have and never will take peace for granted. Peace is a daily task.
The reform of the Security Council must encompass the security challenges of the 21st century and beyond, including issues like climate change, in its agenda. Further representation in the Security Council needs to reflect the changing security architecture and must include the voices of Small Island Developing States.
As far back as the last decade of the last century, we have sounded the alarm that climate change is a threat to the peoples of the Pacific communities. A threat to our lives, livelihoods, security, and wellbeing.
The situation has worsened over time, and what was once a threat has now become a crisis. A crisis which demands immediate and decisive action. Developing countries require immediate and efficient assistance and implementation. Words are no longer sufficient.
We need to accelerate climate action grounded in science. We need action considering equity and national circumstances. The Pacific Islands, as frontline states, are bearing the brunt of climate change. Yes, we are victims but importantly we also are leaders in the fight against this global challenge. We call for urgent transformative global action to limit warming to 1.5°C. All nations must enhance emission reductions and improve access to climate finance for Pacific Island nations here and now and not tomorrow.
The Pact for the Future rightfully insists on the link between climate change and peace and urges the fulfilment of commitments to help vulnerable countries adapt and build resilience.
We call for the reform of the International Financial institutions to reflect the realities of today and to be fit for purpose. For SIDs the integration of tools such as the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) is essential for precisely assessing the challenges we face. This approach will help shape a global governance framework that ensures fairness for all nations
Let me turn for a moment to The Pacific Islands Forum.
We have taken innovative steps to build regional resilience. This includes the pioneering Pacific Resilience Facility, our first Pacific-led climate and disaster response initiative. We have established key declarations, such as the 2023 Declaration on the Continuity of Statehood and Protection of Persons amidst sea-level rise, and the 2021 Declaration on Preserving Maritime Zones against climate impacts. We have also developed and endorsed the Pacific Regional Framework on Climate Mobility and introduced the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific. Incidentally, the latter is the world's first regional framework linking climate change and disaster risk.
I firmly believe that the Pact for the Future is a vital catalyst for the 2030 Agenda. The Pact in key areas such as energy access, universal health coverage, quality education, and decent work opportunities, will renew our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Global Digital Compact is crucial for fostering a safe, inclusive, and sustainable digital environment.
The Pact of the Future must be our commitment to a fairer and safer future for all. We must now take on the responsibility of building, doing so with urgency, courage, and unwavering determination.
Let us live up to the responsibilities entrusted to us and seize this opportunity.
The future of our planet and our people depend on our resolve and collective action. Let us embrace the Pact for the Future and work together to build a better world.
Mālō 'aupito.--ENDS
