ASSISTANT Foreign Affairs Minister Lenora Qereqeretabua says communities on the frontline of climate change are not waiting for perfect solutions.
She told the Major Groups & Stakeholders Forum in Nadi, which is an agenda in the Sixth Forum of Ministers & Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, the region must be bold in how it responds.
“As we look ahead to UNEA-7, to the implementation of past resolutions, and to charting our regional voice, I ask us to ground our deliberations on three truths,” she said.
“First, we must be honest about where we are.
“The gap between commitments and reality is widening. The Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the promises of pollution reduction remain fragile without decisive implementation. We must confront the uncomfortable truth that incremental progress is not enough.
“Second, we must be bold in how we respond.
“Communities on the frontlines are not waiting for perfect solutions. They are innovating, designing local adaptation systems, reviving indigenous knowledge, pioneering circular economies. But they need us. They need policymakers, donors, and international partners to scale these solutions, to match local courage with global solidarity.”
Ms Qereqeretabua said the third truth is being united in what we demand.
“Multilateralism must work for the vulnerable, not just the powerful.
“We must ensure that UNEA-7, and indeed the multilateral system, delivers real financing for action, holds polluters accountable, and safeguards the rights of present and future generations.
“For Pacific peoples, this includes a presumption of continuity for our statehood and maritime zones, even as seas rise. Justice must not drown with us.”
Ms Qereqeretabua said in the days ahead, “you will hear of challenges, but I urge you to listen for solutions”.
“Behind every statistic of loss is a story of resilience. Behind every crisis is an opportunity to build differently, to build better, and to build together.
“Let us remember; history will not judge us by our speeches or the resolutions we will agree here.
“It will judge us by whether families in the coastal village have a safe home in the coming years or whether our grandchildren will have the opportunity to experience the beauty that surrounds us.
“So let this major stakeholders meeting be a signal to governments, to UNEA, and to the world that Asia-Pacific stakeholders are not passive participants but active shapers of the future that we will no longer accept delay disguised as diplomacy or promises without pathways.”