BY SAMIE WAIKORI
The Secretary General of Pacific Island Forum, His Excellency Baron Divavesi Waqa has emphasised efforts to address climate change, as it becomes the single greatest threat to life and livelihood of the people of the Pacific region.
Speaking at the opening of the Pacific ACP leaders meeting held at the Forum Fisheries Agency complex yesterday, he said the urgency for the Blue Pacific region could not be any clearer.
He said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Bank estimate that climate disasters already cost our economies between six and nine percent of GDP each year.
“Think about that, nearly a tenth of our economic output is lost annually due to cyclones, floods, and rising seas.
“This is not just a number, it represents homes and livelihoods destroyed, schools closed, damaged infrastructures and futures disrupted,” Waqa said.
The Secretary General however stated despite shifting global political currents and economic turbulence, Pacific leaders remained unwavering in their efforts to address the impacts of climate change their countries and people.
“Climate change remains the single greatest threat to the lives and livelihoods of our people. That is why climate action must stay at the centre of our collective work.
“The Pacific has demonstrated how political advocacy can amplify our priorities on the global stage through the Political Climate Champions,” he said.
Waqa called on Pacific leaders to behind a united call for climate justice and voice it in the international stage.
“As we approach COP30, let us carry forward our call for Climate justice, amplified by the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice.
“These realities demand stronger institutions, sharper diplomatic advocacy, and deeper partnerships,” he said.
Waqa emphasized that the Samoa Agreement signed in Apia in 2023, gives PIF new platform to embed Pacific priorities within the EU-OACPS partnership.
He added the “Our Pacific islands Forum 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent” also gives PIF the vision to safeguard our sovereignty and resilience for generations to come.
“But vision alone is not enough. We need clear institutional arrangements, a costed plan of implementation, and adequate resources to carry it forward.
“Without that, the Samoa Agreement risks becoming a framework of words rather than a driver of change,” Waqa said.
On the same note, the Secretary General has sounded alarm on the profound global change the region is facing.
He said the World Bank projects global growth this year at only 2.3 percent — the slowest pace in decades outside times of crisis.
Waqa added the International Monetary Fund also warns that more than 60 developing countries are already in or at high risk of debt distress.
“Many are small island economies like ours, facing the same structural vulnerabilities,” he said.
