Pacific Islands Forum

Presented by the Permanent Missions of Kiribati and Marshall Islands to the UN, and the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat, the event highlighted Kiribati and Marshall Islands’ ongoing efforts to address climate change, as well as commitments to accelerating actions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the SAMOA Pathway. The meeting also featured voices of youth from the two countries, who presented ongoing projects, programs, and initiatives aimed at securing their future. Above photo: Team Kiribati with Taneti Maamau, President of Kiribati Taneti Maamau, President, Kiribati, announced the launch of the Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management 2019-2028. John M. Silk, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands, highlighted this week’s launch of the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership by Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu, which aims to reduce Pacific shipping’s CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum, noted the creation of a Pacific Resilience Facility aimed at helping communities cope with the impact of climate change. Opening the event, Teburoro Tito, Permanent Representative of Kiribati to the UN, spoke about how Kiribati’s fragile ecosystems are increasingly damaged and destroyed by climate change. He welcomed Kiribati’s youth and invited them to express their needs and plans. Taneti Maamau, President, Kiribati, highlighted the importance of building partnerships that help address the common challenges that the region is facing. He noted that Kiribati is implementing its climate change-related plans through a coordinated national strategy and has recently launched the Kiribati Joint Implementation Plan for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management 2019-2028 (KJIP). He further presented measures for rejuvenating Kiribati’s tuna stocks and fisheries. The goal of the KJIP, he said, is to increase resilience to climate change and disaster risks using a “whole-of-country” approach by focusing on mainstreaming and coordination across sectors and scales of governance. He explained that the KJIP identifies 12 strategies and associated priority climate change and disaster risk management actions for the next nine years (2019-2028) based on existing policies and strategies. Ultimately, he noted, the KJIP aims to uphold and safeguard Kiribati’s unique culture, heritage, and identity through enhanced resilience and sustainable development. He concluded by underlining that Kiribati “is not sinking, but fighting.” Between 2017 and 2019, the KJIP was reviewed and revised with the support of the NAP Global Network’s U.S. In-Country Support Program for Kiribati. John M. Silk, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands, said the Marshall Islands and Ireland are spearheading the Kwon-Gesh Climate Pledge to include young people in climate action policy creation and invited all governments to join the initiative. He noted that small island states are on the frontlines of climate change and quoted Jason Momoa, saying that “when the frontline is gone, we are doomed.” He noted that the Marshall Islands is facing “the devastating loss” of its home because of sea-level rise and called on all countries to reduce CO2 emissions and become carbon-neutral by 2050. Silk said that the Marshall Islands was the first and only country that submitted an updated, more ambitious nationally determined contribution (NDC) at the Climate Vulnerable Forum in 2018. He said that the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership, launched during the 2019 Climate Week by Fiji, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu, aims to reduce Pacific shipping’s CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030. Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum, stressed that climate change is the greatest security threat that islands are facing, which is both an environmental and human security threat and has an enormous geopolitical impact in terms of governments’ priorities. She said Pacific islands need more financial and capacity building support from partners, particularly to build data capacity for both assessing the islands’ challenges and ensuring accountability for donors’ support. She noted the creation of a Pacific Resilience Facility aimed at helping communities cope with the impact of climate change, adding that the UN Secretary-General will support a pledging conference for the Pacific Resilience Facility as USD 1.5 billion are needed for the first five years. Selina Neirok Leem, youth representative from the Marshall Islands, said youth are creating three types of camps for youth: science; arts and climate change; and leadership. The camps will help youth to connect, brainstorm, and strategize on actions that youth could take to address the effects of climate change on the islands. The arts camps are meant to help youth cope with the trauma caused by the impact of climate change on their homes and communities, she noted. Aberaam Tata, youth representative from Kiribati, said young people in Kiribati aspire to a peaceful, safe, and healthy future on the island, and to be empowered in a sustainable way to take action and build the lives they need. He stressed that climate change is a huge threat not only to the country, but to the culture of Kiribati. He noted that youth’s civic engagement in Kiribati is focused on building young people’s capacity to make a difference in the fight against climate change. In a video, other youth from Kiribati urged global leaders to help them keep their countries and homes from disappearing by curbing global CO2 emissions. Pacula Jesary Kilifi, Miss Kiribati 2019, presented her efforts to serve as a national role model for Kiribati’s children and youth by promoting environmentally-responsible behaviors and organizing nature cleanups. In the ensuing discussion, Norway highlighted that even though the ocean sets us apart, the ocean also binds us together, and thus there is a need to create coalitions to protect it. He mentioned Norway’s efforts to change the rules of development cooperation by changing the rules of graduation from least developed country (LDC) status so that countries prone to natural disasters no longer risk losing access to concessional financing. Ireland presented its new international development policy, which puts climate finance at the core and will support small islands. Australia expressed readiness to partner with small islands states to assist them with their challenges. Kiribati highlighted that small island states have only 8 years left in which a global reduction of CO2 emissions could save their livelihoods. Tuvalu emphasized that international powers are competing for the marine protein sources of islanders, which are already dwindling because of climate change. He called on countries that are candidates for the UN Security Council to recognize climate change as a security issue and to appoint a Special Envoy for Climate Change and Security. Canada said it contributes USD 2.6 billion to developing countries to fight climate change and expressed Canada’s readiness to work with the Pacific region to help it tackle climate change. New Zealand highlighted its work on ensuring strong baselines for maritime zones under the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), so they are protected and remain maritime zones. US presented its work on solid waste management to limit marine debris, as well as its knowledge-sharing initiatives aimed at promoting best practices in solid management among other large economies, so they can limit their marine debris as well. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Pacula Jesary Kilifi, Miss Kiribati 2019, welcomes participants with traditional leis from Kiribati. Tearinaki Tanielu, Kiribati, Co-moderator Choi Yeeting, Kiribati, Co-moderator Teburoro Tito, Permanent Representative of Kiribati to the UN Taneti Maamau, President of Kiribati Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary-General, Pacific Islands Forum John M. Silk, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands Video presentation on Kiribati Aberaam Tata, youth representative from Kiribati Selina Neirok Leem, youth representative from Marshall Islands Pacula Jesary Kilifi, Miss Kiribati 2019 Video messages from Kiribati youth Cáit Moran, Special Envoy to the Pacific, Ireland Victoria Hallum, New Zealand Sandra Oudkirk, US Tina Stege, Climate Envoy, Marshall Islands Mario Bot, Canada Michael Lodge, Secretary-General, International Seabed Authority Odd-Inge Kvalheim, Norway Deborah Manase, Marshall Islands Nigel Bruce, Australia Ian Fry, Climate Ambassador, Tuvalu Taneti Maamau, President of Kiribati, receives a gift from Yi Ling Li, UCT International Culture Development Inc. CONTACT Christian Ledwell | cledwell@iisd.ca MORE INFORMATION https://www.unwater.org/transformative-water-actions-to-accelerate-global-achievement-of-climate-change-related-goals/ -->

Highlights for Friday, 30 August 2019 Queen Angelfish from Belize, photo by Marcelo Halpern The third session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) came to a close on Friday, August 30, 2019. During the day, delegates engaged in a comprehensive discussion on the way forward. Several delegations welcomed the new format of the meeting, notably the informal-informals, with many calling for regular report-backs to facilitate broad participation, especially for small delegations. On this note, there were calls from several developing countries for increased contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund to facilitate their participation at the next meeting.In her closing remarks, IGC President Rena Lee (Singapore), called on delegates to study the proposals submitted during the intersessional period in order to make further progress at IGC-4. She noted that: the revised negotiating text for IGC-4 will likely not include all the proposals submitted or discussed at IGC-3; the advanced revised text, in English only, will be issued by the end of 2019; and IGC-4 will feature more parallel sessions, and a number of stock-taking plenaries that will consider the four elements of the 2011 package as “more of a package.” In the corridors, several delegates patted themselves on the back for having gone through the major elements of the draft text on the new High Seas treaty, but acknowledged that more needs to be done to address the pressing matters that have been raised in the negotiation process. Commenting on next steps, many delegates stressed that, for IGC-4, “the Facilitators will need to craft bridging language to close the gaps in this process.”   IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from BBNJ IGC-3. The summary and analysis report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Informal Working Group View of the informal working group session L-R: IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore; Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UN Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (UNDOALOS); Alice Hicuburundi, UNDOALOS and Charlotte Salpin, UNDOALOS Carl Grainger, Ireland, Chair of the Credentials Committee Luis Ugarelli, Peru Henry Suarez, Venezuela Indira Guardia, Cuba Alina Llano, Nicaragua Gennady Kuzmin, Russian Federation Janine Coye-Felson, Belize, Facilitator of the informal working group on marine genetic resources, including benefit-sharing Olai Uludong, Palau, Facilitator of the informal working group on capacity building and the transfer of marine technology René Lefeber, the Netherlands, Facilitator of the informal working group on environmental impact assessments Alice Revell, New Zealand, Facilitator of the informal working group on area-based management tools, including marine protected areas L-R: Gou Haibo, China; IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore; and Evan Bloom, US L-R: Florian Botto, Monaco; Mamadou Diallo, Senegal; and Rishy Bukoree, Mauritius Asela Peneueta, Tuvalu, on behalf of the Pacific Islands Forum Andreas Papaconstantinou, EU Ali Nasimfar, Iran Fuad Bateh, Palestine, on behalf of the G-77/China Mehdi Remaoun, Algeria, on behalf of the African Group Evan Bloom, US Julio Arriola, Paraguay, on behalf of Land-Locked Developing Countries Gou Haibo, China Tilani Silva, Sri Lanka Michael Kanu, Sierra Leone Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, UNDOALOS IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore L-R: Miguel de Serpa Soares, Secretary-General of the IGC, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, and IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, gavelled the meeting to a close at 5:17 pm. Participants from the High Seas Alliance Delegates from the European Commission Delegates from Australia Delegates from the US Delegates from the Pacific Islands Forum Delegates from the Philippines Delegates from the African Group IGC President Rena Lee, Singapore, with delegates from the EU Delegates from the Pacific Small Island Developing States Delegates from Latin American countries Delegates from China Delegates from Seychelles L-R: ENB BBNJ Team with Jennifer Bansard, Asterios Tsioumanis, Tasha Goldberg, Tallash Kantai, Katarina Hovden, and Franz Dejon