The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga last week had the privilege of hosting United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) António Guterres. In his speech at the opening of the Forum, he highlighted the significance of “this [Pacific] region as a beacon of solidarity and strength, environmental stewardship and peace. The world has much to learn from the Pacific, and the world must also step up to support your initiatives.”
SG Guterres urged “Pacific Island States to make your voices heard, and heard loudly, because the world needs your leadership.”
Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Mark Brown met with SG Guterres in a bilateral meeting where mutual areas of interest were discussed. The UNSG reaffirmed his commitment to the 1.5-degree climate target and the need to reform the international financial architecture.
Prime Minister Brown emphasised the need for ready access to climate finance, while also promoting the region’s recently launched Pacific Resilience Fund (PRF). The Cook Islands has been actively engaged, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM), in chairing the PRF design committee. The new fund will finance community-driven projects and is ultimately seeking $1.5 billion in capitalisation, with the prospect of accepting contributions from the proposed Loss and Damage fund.
Prime Minister Brown also discussed the pressing issue facing many Pacific countries in terms of debt sustainability and the need to restructure the approach to debt management by the large multilateral development banks. UNSG Guterres said this was a priority for him as well and noted that he had similar concerns with the international financial architecture, with a need to look at debt relief programmes and an enhanced redistribution of concessional financing to benefit Small Island Developing States.
Pacific Leaders also held a joint dialogue with UNSG Guterres on Tuesday morning to bring global attention to the 53rd Forum theme of “Transformative Resilient Pasifiki: Build Better Now” and garner support for Pacific priorities. Foreign Minister Tingika Elikana represented the Cook Islands at the Dialogue and spoke to the theme of “Transformative Partnership.”
Minister Elikana noted the centrality of the 2050 strategy as important to accelerating regional development and priorities set through the Pacific Partnerships for Prosperity, which was launched at last year’s 52nd Forum. Minister Elikana outlined that “these partnerships seek to enhance regional coordination and prioritisation with suitable development partners by creating greater efficiencies and synergies within and across Forum processes.”
The Minister further reflected on the “devastating history of nuclear contamination in the Pacific” and called for better leadership at the international level to support the Pacific’s continued commitment to a nuclear-free and self-determined Pacific and a nuclear weapons-free world. This includes advocacy to urge the global community to address nuclear legacy issues in the Pacific through the Rarotonga Treaty.
The visit of the UNSG to the region provided the Cook Islands with an opportunity for elevated engagement with the UNSG. Prime Minister Brown’s bilateral meeting was productive, with similar positions between the Cook Islands and the UN on climate action, including better access to climate finance for SIDS. UNSG Guterres has committed to facilitating a pledging event for the PRF at the UN during the week of the annual UN General Assembly later this month.
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