Climate change and human rights are two key issues in international development and their interaction is increasingly in need of focus at national, regional and international levels. In the Pacific, where the
22 Pacific Island countries and territories are on the front line of both climate ambition and the ongoing effects of the climate crisis,
climate change is recognised as the region’s single greatest threat. Urgent climate action is consistently called upon to protect the interests of youth and the most vulnerable populations, together with preserving the ‘
shared needs and interests, potential and survival of our Blue Pacific and this great Blue Planet’.
In just under a month, countries around the world will gather for
UNFCCC COP 25. The hashtag for this year’s “Blue COP” is yet another reminder to us all that it is “Time For Action”. We can no longer afford to wait as the effects of the climate crisis become ever more present. Vulnerable populations, whether from Small Island States, the rural heartland or the world’s megacities, are becoming ever more vulnerable, and the wellbeing of people and planet continues to face its most existential threat.
In less than 10 days, countries from around the planet will come together in New York for the United Nations Secretary General’s
Climate Action Summit. I look forward to representing
the Pacific Community (SPC) at this important event, and throughout “
Action Week” during the upcoming UN General Assembly.
We live on a “blue planet” where water covers around
75 percent of the Earth’s surface. Without water we would simply not survive as a species. As we strive to find pathways to and take action for inclusive sustainable development, we must ensure that our ocean, our seas, rivers, lakes, waterways and wetlands, together with their invaluable biodiversity, are preserved, sustainably used and integrated into development programming.