Government of the Republic of Fiji
Government of the Republic of Fiji
10/19/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/18/2024 12:23
MINISTER TUISAWAU ATTENDS 13TH GGGI
The Hon. Ro Filipe Tuisawau, Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport, attended the 13th Assembly and Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Week in Seoul on the 16th-19th October, 2024 on the formal invitation of the Director General GGGI, Mr. Frank Rijsberman.
GGGI was founded as a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organisation in 2012 at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
The Minister was involved in four formal engagements during the 13th Assembly.
He had a successful bilateral meeting with the Director General during which he acknowledged GGGI's past and current technical assistance rendered thus far to Fiji.
He was also part of a High-Level Ministerial panel discussion on the topic: Green Transformation at Times of Uncertainty - The Role of GGGI in Supporting its Member States and Partners.
During this Panel session, he reiterated that indeed the world has witnessed in recent years, a surge in complex challenges arising from conflict and fragility, alongside significant political, economic, social, and environmental issues, conflicts in various regions have led to widespread displacement, humanitarian crises, and instability, disrupting lives and economies.
For a Pacific Small Developing States, such as Fiji the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect global markets, exacerbating inequalities and hindering growth, where the economy grapple with issues such as inequality, relocation, and public health crises, not forgetting the escalating impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and natural disasters which poses existential threats globally now that demands urgent and concerted action amongst all Member States of the GGGI family.
The main Plenary Session on the second day of the 13th Assembly was opened by His Excellency Ban Ki Moon, President and Chair. During his Ministerial delivery at Plenary, the Minister Tuisawau reminded the Assembly that Fiji is deeply vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change.
Like any other Pacific Small Island Developing States, Fiji faces significant challenges in climate financing mobilisation to scale up its prioritised investments in climate resilient infrastructure in the immediate, medium and long term.
The Minister urged all GGGI State Members to continue their collective efforts to support inclusive climate finance mobilisation and enabling access modalities, by exploring innovative financing mechanisms that can allow GGGI to be a catalytic platform in establishing impactful and transformational lifelong changes to people's lives, that leaves no one behind.
He thanked GGGI leadership and its Secretariat for giving him the opportunity to join the other High Ministerial Level Dignitaries from other Member States to be present in its 13th Assembly. The Minister also advocated that it is crucial that Fiji continue engaging with GGGI to facilitate climate financing for Fiji's specific mitigation, adaptation and climate nexus development projects to benefit grassroot communities.
He acknowledged GGGI's expertise and technical assistance in the mobilisation of renewable energy based rural electrification in Fiji with the various contributions of Development Partners.
He reiterated Fiji's full support to GGGI's current base in Fiji and its future plans to scale up its Regional level presence and innovative collaboration in the South Pacific.
The Minister also participated in his last High-Level Ministerial Panel discussion with the topic: Road to COP29 - What's at stake in Baku, Azerbaijan for Fiji?
The Minister acknowledged that COP29 shall be a "Finance COP" and stressed the utter importance of its success. It is for the continued survival of the Pacific Small Developing States, their economies and its peoples.
Minister Tuisawau also made a bold plea that climate finance is critical for Fiji during this COP29 where the parties must reach a consensus to commence a grant-based Loss & Damage Fund soonest; that takes the Pacific's special circumstances into full consideration, that is commensurate with our collective position to stay with our 1.5 Degrees To Stay Alive non-negotiable negotiation position and the need for unconditional transparency of the whole UNFCCC process.
GGGI was founded as a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organisation in 2012 at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
The Minister was involved in four formal engagements during the 13th Assembly.
He had a successful bilateral meeting with the Director General during which he acknowledged GGGI's past and current technical assistance rendered thus far to Fiji.
He was also part of a High-Level Ministerial panel discussion on the topic: Green Transformation at Times of Uncertainty - The Role of GGGI in Supporting its Member States and Partners.
During this Panel session, he reiterated that indeed the world has witnessed in recent years, a surge in complex challenges arising from conflict and fragility, alongside significant political, economic, social, and environmental issues, conflicts in various regions have led to widespread displacement, humanitarian crises, and instability, disrupting lives and economies.
For a Pacific Small Developing States, such as Fiji the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect global markets, exacerbating inequalities and hindering growth, where the economy grapple with issues such as inequality, relocation, and public health crises, not forgetting the escalating impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and natural disasters which poses existential threats globally now that demands urgent and concerted action amongst all Member States of the GGGI family.
The main Plenary Session on the second day of the 13th Assembly was opened by His Excellency Ban Ki Moon, President and Chair. During his Ministerial delivery at Plenary, the Minister Tuisawau reminded the Assembly that Fiji is deeply vulnerable to the impacts of Climate Change.
Like any other Pacific Small Island Developing States, Fiji faces significant challenges in climate financing mobilisation to scale up its prioritised investments in climate resilient infrastructure in the immediate, medium and long term.
The Minister urged all GGGI State Members to continue their collective efforts to support inclusive climate finance mobilisation and enabling access modalities, by exploring innovative financing mechanisms that can allow GGGI to be a catalytic platform in establishing impactful and transformational lifelong changes to people's lives, that leaves no one behind.
He thanked GGGI leadership and its Secretariat for giving him the opportunity to join the other High Ministerial Level Dignitaries from other Member States to be present in its 13th Assembly. The Minister also advocated that it is crucial that Fiji continue engaging with GGGI to facilitate climate financing for Fiji's specific mitigation, adaptation and climate nexus development projects to benefit grassroot communities.
He acknowledged GGGI's expertise and technical assistance in the mobilisation of renewable energy based rural electrification in Fiji with the various contributions of Development Partners.
He reiterated Fiji's full support to GGGI's current base in Fiji and its future plans to scale up its Regional level presence and innovative collaboration in the South Pacific.
The Minister also participated in his last High-Level Ministerial Panel discussion with the topic: Road to COP29 - What's at stake in Baku, Azerbaijan for Fiji?
The Minister acknowledged that COP29 shall be a "Finance COP" and stressed the utter importance of its success. It is for the continued survival of the Pacific Small Developing States, their economies and its peoples.
Minister Tuisawau also made a bold plea that climate finance is critical for Fiji during this COP29 where the parties must reach a consensus to commence a grant-based Loss & Damage Fund soonest; that takes the Pacific's special circumstances into full consideration, that is commensurate with our collective position to stay with our 1.5 Degrees To Stay Alive non-negotiable negotiation position and the need for unconditional transparency of the whole UNFCCC process.