FIJI’S COP23 presidency in Germany next month will help make clearer the urgency of climate action.
United Nations deputy secretary general Amina Mohamed said Fiji’s preparations had gone quite well despite the distance and had been enabled by the use of technology.
“I think Fiji’s preparations are going quite well and we have to recognise that the reality is that there are distances. We think we are a global village and the town hall is in New York but honestly it’s very far from places,” she said.
Ms Mohamed said Fiji could bring the world closer together on various issues which required discussions.
She said the first-ever Pre-COP meeting, which took place in the past three days at Denarau in Nadi, was well attended and had robust discussions, despite not every member state attended.
“What you can see is their inputs. There have been a real robust processes and consultations,” she said.
Ms Mohamed said a closed meeting with various civil society organisations on Tuesday afternoon was clear that there had been strong engagement between the Fijian presidency and non-government organisations.
“The Fiji COP has brought this whole reality to the most vulnerable member of the family and why they matter and why we should care and why we should do something about living up to our commitments,” she said.
Refusing to put a figure on what it cost to have the UN’s first COP chaired by a small island developing state, Ms Mohamed said ‘everyone has contributed.’
She said having Fiji lead COP23 was important because the presidency could clearly represent vulnerabilities.
“It just doesn’t bring Fiji, it represents vulnerability, small islands states around the world for which on ordinary days people don’t see.
“When we talk about the collective responsibility of doing no harm, much harm is being done by the emissions in this world to island states like this.
“They bring their voice, they bring a reality, they put a voice behind a figure or the name of a country. Its very important because we have to be moved to action and this is what it does,” she said.
