Fiji is ready to lead and collaborate – we look forward to standing alongside all of our Partners in Nice, with conviction, humility, and with the deep understanding that what unites us is far greater than what divides us.
This was the statement by the Prime Minister Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka while officiating at the pre-departure brief ahead of the third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) in Nice from the 9th to the 13th of June.
The Prime Minister emphasised that Fiji’s delegation has prepared extensively and will continue pushing for meaningful outcomes for our people and our ocean.
PM Rabuka stressed that climate and ocean issues are inter-linked, and must be addressed through integrated, science-informed policy and diplomacy.
“If we want to build resilience, our awareness of the science and the limits that shape our environment and economies needs to be at the center of the narrative and the action we call for,” he said.
As a key deliverable, Fiji will formally submit its instrument of ratification for the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement — a landmark treaty adopted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
He further acknowledged the ocean as a central element of the Pacific’s shared identity, economy, and security.
“Our ocean is the context in which geopolitics, environmental threats, our economic future, and cultural identities and values interrelate. Calming and stablising the region requires a holistic conceptualisation of Peace from a security-based, economic, environmental, and multilateral perspective,” PM Rabuka added.
The composition of Fiji’s government delegation to UNOC comprises of officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and Ministry of Fisheries.
The Hon. Prime Minister thanked respective partners and the Government of France for their funding support towards the delegation.
Fiji remains a strong advocate for ocean governance, environmental justice, and climate-resilient development, and will continue to work with global partners to deliver its national priorities.
