The 2013 Constitution fails to provide a constitutional framework for sustainability despite Fiji’s growing vulnerability to climate change.
Political sociologist and global interdisciplinary scholar Professor Steven Ratuva, while making submissions to the Constitution Review Commission, said sustainability had become a significant constitutional issue as countries increasingly responded to the impacts of climate change.
Prof Ratuva said the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals had set out 17 global goals that countries were expected to commit to.
“And yet Fiji’s not doing very well. The Pacific is not doing very well,” he said.
“The world, of course, is in a lot of trouble because of the conflict, because of the poverty, because of all this.”
Prof Ratuva said some constitutions had begun incorporating specific sustainability provisions because of increasing concerns over climate change.
He said the issue had become more significant following a ruling by the International Court of Justice that states would be responsible for activities that caused environmental damage.
Prof Ratuva said the initiative leading to the ruling began with law students in Vanuatu before progressing through the United Nations and eventually to the International Court of Justice.
“So Fiji was signatory to that. So some new constitutions, particularly the constitutional lawyers, are trying to get that into their constitutions as well.”
He said Fiji’s repeated exposure to severe tropical cyclones highlighted the need for constitutional recognition of sustainability.
“Just to make sure that Fiji in particular, every time there’s a big Category 5 cyclone, Category 4, Category 3 cyclone, we’re in a big mess.
“Our economy’s in a mess. And then we spend so much resources trying to address it.”
