UNGA wraps up with Pacific Islands leaders reinforcing message on climate action

Tuesday, 1 October 2024, 7:52 pm
Article: RNZ

Paific Island leaders have wrapped up the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by reinforcing their message to global leaders that the world needs to act urgently to combat the climate crisis.

Here is what they said in New York.

Tonga's Prime Minister Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni said rising sea levels threaten the existence of entire cultures.

Hu'akavameiliku said sea levels in the Pacific have risen double the global average and the Pacific Islands and their people were the most vulnerable.

"They are existential threats that jeopardise the very existence of small Pacific Island countries, including Tonga. Rising sea levels are eroding coastlines, swallowing entire islands and forcing families to abandon their ancestral homes.

"This is not just about losing land, it's about our identities, losing heritage and culture."

He said there needs to be a unified global effort to combat the climate crisis, adding "climate change is escalating inequalities - leaving many countries struggling to meet" sustainable development goals.

Leaders need to be innovative to progress, he said.

"Without urgent and coordinated global action, the vision of a more equitable and sustainable world may remain just another elusive dream.

"This means eroded trust in our ability to keep promises, it will jeopardise both our planet and its inhabitants.

"We must and we can confront this seemingly insurmountable challenges with innovation and determination. We can no longer afford business as usual."

Samoa

Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said the need to address the global plastic pollution problem, especially in the marine environment, is a priority.

"We need to protect our biodiversity, both terrestrial and marine, healthy biological diversity maintains the web of life that we rely on, such as food, water, medicine, economic growth and sustainable livelihoods," she said.

Fiame also noted non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were a priority concern and accounts for much of the burden of diseases in Samoa/

She said chronic NCDs were overtaking communicable diseases as the dominant health problem and are the leading causes of mortality, morbidity and disability.

"At the national level, NCDs account for almost half of the deaths and premature deaths at that in Samoa. Food security is a priority that requires the transformation of our food systems.

"We must return to locally produced, quality, fresh foods with less reliance on processed imported foods."

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka, said militarisation and nuclear posturing was dividing the world and creating tension and fear.

"The rich and powerful are spending some $2.4 trillion on arms that could have been best used in the 2030 agenda and fighting the biggest enemy of humanity, climate change," Agovaka said.

"We must hold ourselves to account and secure the future of our people by unlocking the opportunity of prosperity and plant seeds of peace."

Federated States of Micronesia

President Wesley Simina said sea level rise posed a significant threat to the livelihoods, well being and security of small island nations, communities and ecosystems.

"However, this climate crisis does not jeopardise our statehood or sovereignty, nor does it diminish our rights under international law," he said.

"Leaders from the Pacific Islands Forum and the Alliance of small island states AOSIS have affirmed that are marine zone, maritime zones, as recognised by the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea will remain valid despite physical changes due to climate change.

Vanuatu

Prime Minister Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas said the world is at risk to cross "a dangerous temperature threshold over the next 10 years".

He said that was why Vanuatu requested an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice to give some clarity on the legal obligations of states when it comes to climate change.

"This doesn't seek to blame or stigmatise any particular country, but rather, it seeks to shed light on existing international rules and regulations and the obligations of all states when it comes to creating a solid basis for concrete climate action and for climate justice based on responsibility, shared responsibility and accountability," he said.

He said Vanuatu and other small island economies were struggling with the onslaught of climate induced disasters.

"While we continue to try to build resilience and adapt to climate change, we are moving backwards too often.

"Vanuatu loses over half of its GDP every time a severe cyclone strikes. We have had five severe cyclones in the past three years."

He said Vanuatu, like many of our Pacific neighbors, continues to face acute existential health and development threats, including the burden of NDCs and malnutrition, as well as threats from future pandemics.

"Covid 19 and severe tropical cyclones, expose Vanuatu to its fragile health infrastructure and the need to invest in a health system that can better respond to the needs of Its people and to future pandemics that will be resilient to climate change and related natural disasters."

Tuvalu

Prime Minister Feleti Teo said the "Pacific Ocean that used to define us will soon engulf us".

"The predictions are that in 26 years time, by 2050 more than 50 percent of Tuvalu's land territory, will be regularly flooded by regular tidal surges.

"50 years afterward, in 2100 more than 90 percent of Tuvalu's land territory will suffer the same fate."

He said the predictions do not account for severe climatic conditions like cyclones and hurricanes, which would exponentially accelerate the reaching of those thresholds.

He noted that Tuvaluans have a very close affinity with the Pacific Ocean.

"The Pacific Ocean sustains our daily lives and economic prosperity. The impact of climate change on fish stock, migration and declining marine resources, together with IUU fishing and marine pollution, pose a major challenge to Tuvalu's progress towards sustainable economic development."

Papua New Guinea

Prime Minister James Marape said PNG hosts up to seen percent of the world's biodiversity that were mostly housed within a tropical rainforest that is the third largest in the world and has a vast marine ecosystem.

"We sustainably manage our forests, land and sea, because our livelihood depends on them," he said.

"My country has been contributing to the public or global discourse over the last two decades in as far as environmental management is concerned and matters relating to climate change, unfortunately, this has been met with very little return of action.

"However, we continue to stand ready to assist the United Nations family in this area."

He added: "Nations and corporations jostle and stampede over each other in order to harvest resources, causing environmental degradation, deforestation, burning of cheaper fossil fuel and pollution, spreading our planet into climate catastrophes that will further engender poverty."

"Nation like mine continue to live with the climate change induced sea level rise and weather pattern changes that has now become an existential threat."

© Scoop Media

RNZ

New Zealand's public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.

Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.

Contact RNZ

• Website - www.radionz.co.nz
• Twitter - @rnz_news
• Facebook
• Link - Contact RNZ